Six reasons to study Complementary Medicine

1. An important branch of medicine

Herbal and holistic medicine dates back thousands of years. For a long while, alternative medicine was deemed ‘irregular’ and not for proper use within Western practice. But today, it is relied on heavily all over the world.

During your degree course, you’ll learn how traditional methods are developing with the help of technology, chemistry and pharmacology, using modern practices to provide the most beneficial treatments to patients.

2. Graduate opportunities

With this increasing reliance, the demand for particularly-skilled individuals in GP practices, health centres, hospitals and even leisure centres is also increasing. Many graduates work in private practices, progress to PhD study, or find employment in academia or research. Several build their own businesses.

3. Variety of areas to explore

Your course may have a specific focus – such as osteopathic medicine or chiropractic – but  there are lots of different topics that you’ll study as part of the degree. This could include physiology, anatomy, pathology, psychology, pharmacology, sociology and philosophy, giving you the flexibility to explore the aspects that interest you most. 

4. Practical work experiences

Clinical practice is often a key component to a Complementary Medicine degree, where you’ll undertake work placements that last from a couple of weeks to a full year. This allows you to gain valuable experience working in the industry, build your professional network and develop employability skills.

5. Transferable skills

Study Complementary Medicine, and alongside the specific techniques you'll learn, you’ll also develop invaluable skills such as analysis, IT comprehension, communication and report writing. These can easily be applied to other professional roles and are attractive in the eyes of employers across many sectors.

6. Salary potential

Complementary Medicine has one of the highest figures on our table of graduate earnings. Like Medicine, as a graduate from this subject area, you can expect good pay if you work hard.