This Pathology and Disease course is designed to enable students and practitioners of Holistic Medicine to understand the basic principles by which orthodox medicine operates. It is important to denote that this course has been designed with the Holistic Medicine practitioner in mind and is not a general pathology course that one would encounter in a medical school curriculum.

The emphasis is on the management of cases which are commonly seen in clinical practice, together with recognition of warning symptoms which may require referral to another practitioner.

Prerequisites
The Pathology & Disease Diploma Course can be taken as a stand-alone course, but for those taking the Professional Diploma in Holistic Medicine the Anatomy, Physiology and Physical Examination Diploma Course is a prerequisite course.

The course is carried out by distance learning and we will supply the materials that you require. There will also be some interactive Internet work for certain assignements and completing the examinations.

The Course Materials
We send you the printed course manual entitled "Pathology & Disease: Home Study Course for Alternative Practitioners", which contains 264 pages of course material divided into 4 course units, plus the essential textbook for the course.

The textbook is authored by Dr. Stephen Gascoigne and is entitled "Clinical Medicine Guide - A Holistic Perspective."

Each unit contains explanatory text, reading references for the textbook that accompanies the course, short self-assessment questions and longer assignments. There is also another book provided which acts as a useful reference book entitled "The Prescribed Drug Guide: A Holistic Perspective" by the same author.

Benefits

• a very practical approach to study, including assignments that often require case research relating to students own therapy
• emphasis on recognising important conditions and danger signs that may need referral to other practitioners
• specially developed to provide essential learning for the study of Alternative Medicine
• clearly presented, easy to follow and thorough in content
• study can be started and finished at any time
• work at your own speed and pace - timetable to suit you
• no prior medical training is required
• continuous assessment provides ongoing feedback and motivation
• Diploma certificates are awarded on completing the courses
• course is regularly updated

Gain an informed understanding of disease processes to ensure better and safer treatment of patients. Emphasis on reflecting the alternative medical view alongside the orthodox view. There are 4 Units of study to complete:

Unit 1
· Introduction and Philosophy
· Basic pathological processes
· Common medical investigations
· Infectious disease
· Cancer

Unit 2
· Cardiovascular system
· Respiratory system
· Urinary system
· Musculoskeletal system
· Dermatology

Unit 3
· Special senses
· Gastrointestinal system
· Central Nervous System
· Endocrine system

Unit 4
· Obstetrics
· Gynaecology
· Children\'s health
· Psychological disorders

SUMMARY OF COURSE MATERIALS
There are two books and the distance-learning manual that are all part of this course, as well as interactive work on the Internet which also includes taking timed exams online at the end of the course. These books include:

1. "Clinical Medicine Guide - A Holistic Perspective" by Dr. Stephen Gascoigne, M.D.

2. Printed course manual entitled "Pathology & Disease: Home Study Course for Alternative Practitioners", by Dr. Stephen Gascoigne, M.D.

3. "The Prescribed Drug Guide: A Holistic Perspective" by the same author.

EXAMINATIONS
There will be a timed examination at the end of the course which the student can activate as soon as they feel that they are ready to take the exam. Students will be able to access their examinations online and will be able to complete them and obtain their scores automatically. A minimum score of 60% must be obtained for the Diploma in Pathology and Disease to be awarded. Otherwise, the student must resit the examination at a cost of 50 Euros.