Clinical Training Course In Homeopathy 2004 with Rajesh and Rupal Shah

On 29 November 2004, a group of ten South African homeopathic students entered the Life Force Center in Ghatkopar, Mumbai, to begin a three-week programme under the direction of Dr Rajesh Shah. The Life Force Center, Dr Shah's global clinic where he treats patients from over 110 countries, is one of the largest in Asia, and probably the only clinic attached to an ISO 9001:2000 certified research wing. The training was to be from Monday to Friday, 10 am to 6 pm (or later) and half days on Saturdays, with Sundays free for us to sightsee, shop, and relax.

The course that we had so enthusiastically committed ourselves to months before was suddenly a reality, and we did not know what to expect from it. This, combined with the fact that we were in a foreign country (even though we had had a few days to get acquainted with the city, the people, the taxis and the auto rickshaws), understandably made us all a little anxious as well as excited.

After a short introductory session, we joined Dr Shah in his office where he discussed the basic structure of our programme. After that, we saw our first patient, a young female with a queried lobular nephritis. Most of our three weeks was spent observing Dr Shah and his patients as he continued with his daily practice. The patients were extremely accommodating in allowing us to sit in on their consultations. The language barrier between us and the patients was never much of a problem as many spoke excellent English, and for those who did not, Dr Shah acted as a translator. The course exposed us to applied homeopathy. Dr Shah's approach to homeopathy is scientific, based on hard data rather than fantasies and imagination. He looks through every case in a structured way, applies the science, and documents the results.

In India, homeopathy is considered to be a primary form of health care. In South Africa, however, although it is a growing profession, it is an expensive form of treatment and remains available mostly to the more affluent population. Furthermore, people are largely uneducated about homeopathy and many still view homeopaths as ‘witchdoctors' and herbalists. Homeopathy therefore often becomes a last resort, when nothing else seems to be working. As homeopathic students in South Africa we are not exposed to prevalent diseases and conditions such as psoriasis, lichen planus and vitiligo, so it was fascinating for us to see them at the Life Force Center. Other diseases that we came across included hypothyroidism, recurrent colds, muscular dystrophy, trigeminal neuralgia and nephrotic syndrome. Dr Shah kept photographic records of many patients that he showed us during follow-up cases. This helped us to see the brilliance of homeopathy.

In between patients, Dr Shah lectured us on case taking, case processing, remedy selection, potency and repetition, prognosis and, more importantly, he taught how to plan long-term management of chronic cases. Each day he expanded our knowledge a little further and we were therefore able to contribute, to a greater degree as time progressed, to discussions of the cases that we saw. Our understanding of the significance of symptoms, past history and family history became clearer, and things that we had done so mechanically before suddenly took on a new importance. We also learned how to develop a practice and make a successful career in homeopathy.

Most afternoons we were also lectured on materia medica by Dr Rupal Shah, Dr Rajesh Shah's wife. Her lectures were always interesting and she taught us to see the remedies from a different perspective. We also took cases with a few of the assistant homeopaths who worked at the Life Force Center.

Not used to such long hours, we were all exhausted by the end of each day. But it was definitely worth it. During this course, Dr Shah generously shared his experiences and insight into homeopathy, and helped us to dispel many of our myths and apprehensions regarding the use of remedies. Our confidence was significantly enhanced by the end of the course.

The clinical training course was an unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime experience that can be recommended to homeopaths all over the world.