Standards Committee
NAMA Standards Committee Status Report June, 2011
Evolving Standards for Training in Ayurveda in USA
In order to actively support the recognition and practice of Ayurveda in the US, NAMA's Standards Committee has made it our priority to identify and articulate good, responsible minimum standards for the scope of practice and competencies of graduates and practitioners of Ayurveda in the US. These standards will serve both as a foundation for future certification and licensing of Ayurveda in the US, and to encourage education that produces competent and confident practitioners of Ayurveda.
Far from being an attempt to homogenize education in Ayurveda in the US or to take away from the character and specialties of individual schools and teachers, the aim is to identify the minimum core of skills and competencies that are common whether a person has studied in a college or a gurukula, a university or web-based learning; whether they have studied directly from Ayurveda's Sanskrit classics as their primary textbooks or from contemporary texts in English.
Hours vs. Competencies
The initial approach defined these standards in terms of hours of study, including hours for each area of the curriculum. These are the requirements currently posted on the NAMA website for school programs teaching Ayurveda and seeking to be approved by NAMA. Rather than simply increasing the number of hours as a means to meet the increasing interest and commitment to in-depth education in Ayurveda, in 2009 there was a shift to emphasizing the scope of practice and competencies for five different categories of practitioners (numbers do not imply ranking):
- Category I: Competent in health promotion and the prevention of disease utilizing the principles of Ayurveda. Support / guide clients to create diet and lifestyle changes in harmony with their prakriti or vikriti. May work with other practitioners in support role or independently.
- Category II: Competent in Ayurvedic disease management and treatment (kaya chikitsa) including management of Panchakarma.
- Category III: Competent in integrating clinical Ayurveda practice with an existing health practitioner degree, including medical degrees awarded in another country.
- Category IV: Competent in research in Ayurveda, and most likely holding a Ph.D. degree in Ayurveda. This is non-clinical practitioner category.
- Category V: Competent in specialized skills and categories, such as Ayurveda Yoga Therapy, Ayurveda / Panchakarma Therapy, Ayurvedic Pharmacy, Ayurvedic Cooking, Ayurvedic Medical Jyotish, etc.
Community Input
NAMA's process of defining responsible education standards for practitioners of Ayurveda in the US began in 2003. Over 25 educators and practitioners have worked hard to offer regular, detailed input and careful consideration of all aspects of this project, supported by analysis drawn several community surveys.
After shifting the framework of these definitions from hours of study to scope of practice and competencies, a working draft was presented at the NAMA's 2010 pre-conference Town Hall Meeting. Based on the rich input offered there by practitioner, educators, and students, the Standards Committee subsequently placed special focus on three areas: Herbs, Panchakarma and Ayurveda Yoga Therapy.
Working summaries were developed for the scope of practice in these three areas. These were presented at the Practitioners forum at NAMA's 2011 conference and later distributed online to all NAMA practitioner members for their review and input. By later fall, the standards committee will have an updated, detailed draft to present to the community for input.
Supporting the Transition
Looking ahead to how these new standards for training can be introduced in the most supportive ways for the community, there are ongoing discussions of the implications for the following groups:
- Current Ayurvedic Practitioners
- Schools teaching Ayurveda
- Current students
- Future students
- Ayurvedic Practitioners trained in India -- B.A.M.S. and M.D. (Ayu)
This is an initial working draft and not a policy. It will continue to be updated as additional input is received. Click here for more detail.
If you have questions or would like to offer input or support for this process, please contact the NAMA Administrator.
