Health Education at Community Colleges


Community colleges often offer courses on health. Natural health treatments are discussed in at least some of those college textbooks. One example is the book An Invitation to Health by Dianne Hales. In that book, the author introduces the young adult readers to acupuncture, aromatherapy, phytotherapy and other natural health treatments.

Twenty years ago, one would not expect information on those subjects in a textbook on health. Natural health colleges were then the sole location where one could learn about such topics. It would appear now that that is changing. Yet that does not suggest the future demise of natural health colleges. Instead, one should expect at least some students from the community colleges to transfer to natural health colleges.

Perceptive students will note that more and more providers of health insurance are willing to cover treatments by professionals familiar with alternative care for health. Natural health colleges have created such knowledgeable students, that the insurance providers have had to recognize the students’ expertise.

Recognition by the insurance providers has kept pace with the changes in the health textbooks at the community colleges. Together all those change should encourage more students to pursue a career in one of the alternative health professions. Perhaps the day is coming when even the medical schools will offer stronger programs on natural health. Then professors from the natural health colleges could get jobs teaching at the 4-year medical schools.