After reading Malcolm Gladwell’s new book Outliers, Melissa took up the torch to motivate professional homeopaths about their profession. She has been teaching seminars, workshops, and live-case master classes for a number of years. Homeopathy has been undergoing an evolution, and there is a relationship between the sudden speed with which our knowledge is changing.

I encourage homeopaths to take the global warning signs of the planet on the edge of a shift together as a window for successful homeopaths to enter stage left. They can fill the gap during a failing socio-economic, political, environmental, and medical system.

With the 200 year old history of observation and documentation, and the new methods that make analysis more accessible, it is time to upgrade professionals to be models and educator; and to train new homeopaths on a massive scale.

• We’re at a point of transformation and everyone knows it. The question is, “Who will take action?” and “Who will step up to the plate to take a leadership position?”

Why Gladwell wrote his book Outliers

"My wish with Outliers is that it makes us understand how much of a group project success is. When outliers become outliers it is not just because of their own efforts. It's because of the contributions of lots of different people and lots of different circumstances— and that means that we, as a society, have more control about who succeeds—and how many of us succeed—than we think. That's an amazingly hopeful and uplifting idea."

Let us as homeopaths pick up on this thread.

This is the moment in time when we are talking to each other, listening to what people need. This is "A Time of Change."

In an interview Gladwell responded to why he wrote a huge chapter on plane crashes. In a way, Gladwell thinks like a homeopath. He pushes to the end zone, to the limit, to what happens in “the worst case scenario?” Isn’t that just what we, as homeopaths, do? Gladwell uses the levels of sensation, including delusion, to reach deep inside the psyche for answers.

We’re at a point of transformation and everyone knows it. The question is, “Who will take action?” and “Who will step up to the plate to take a leadership position?”

Gladwell takes great pains to expand on the concept of what it takes to become successful in your career. In simplest terms, he says to devote time to the endeavor. And in our situation, it is not just book learning, it requires actual experience. To make an analogy of the industrial revolution, find a mentor and become an apprentice. In order to become successful master homeopaths must take hundreds of cases to become proficient, to become familiar with the tools of our trade, to heighten our intuition, to integrate other energetic approaches into our interview techniques. There are excellent homeopaths to supervise your learning curve. There are programs waiting to fill classrooms. There are others to help with case management. The result of forming communities of homeopaths is an exponential increase in our knowledge base and success rate.

If you calculate it out 10,000 hours is equivalent to working a 40 hour week for five years. In the United States the minimum requirement to practice is a 500 hour certification course. This is just the beginning. Now you must practice and learn how to “be a homeopath.”

• Homeopathy Distance Learning

  Melissa Burch organizes and teaches affordable online courses for stay at home moms, health care professionals and practicing homeopaths from her office in Boston, Mass.

• Helping Homeopaths Through Experiential Learning

Whatever field you are in working toward success takes devotion, persistence, and time. Gladwell spoke in London and used Fleetwood Mac's artistic rise to fame as an example. Success does not occur overnight. Every artist, including the homeopathic artist, must invest time in developing his/her skills, just like a musician practices daily scales so that the notes, rhythm, harmonies are ingrained into the body and mind. The playing of those notes can become facile and then a layer of dynamics and tonal quality can be overlaid to create a piece of beautiful art. 

Does your planetary astrological signature play a part in your success? Gladwell says that whatever forces are occurring during your lifetime effects your success. Your environment and the events around you may set you up for leadership, having the tools to succeed, having a challenging or nurturing environment and relationships. A combination of your own efforts, fortitude, personality plus the world events help shape your achievements.

Metaphorically, this is the year you were born. Look at the world situation our our health care situation that is in dire shape. We can as a community, can be in the right place at the right time if we take on the challenge.

Another step to becoming successful requires social skills. Not only must you have a high 'Intelligence IQ," but you must be a good communicator. In order to transfer your knowledge you must have developed social skills.

In the case of Professional Homeopaths as Providers of Health Care we must shift to a new paradigm of Entitlement.

• A government program that guarantees and provides benefits to a particular group: “fights . . . to preserve victories won a generation ago, like the Medicaid entitlement for the poor” (Jason DeParle).

With continued successful outcomes of homeopathic care, the government will recognize the profession as a integral part of the system, and rely upon our services to assist individuals improve their immune system, alleviate aches and pains and deal with both acute and chronic illness. 

In the future, and we are at the forefront of this work, homeopath will have a right to benefits specified especially by law or contract, and that includes medical insurance coverage. 

We can expect to receive supporting funds for grants, teaching establishments and buildings. 

With confidence, we can talk freely about our skills and discuss both our failures and successes at interactive conferences. We could even ask for help in improving work conditions and database development. 

Many Master Homeopaths have lead the way to uncover improved methods of homeopathy, create analytic computer programs, graphs and charts, and interview intake methods. 

We are no longer outsiders, but as our community grows, we will be at the center of the health care system. 

We can make a difference in people’s life. We do have good timing. We are in the right place in this hour of need.

I encourage you, if you have an interest and a passion, to be an advocate for homeopathy or become a master homeopath with qualificaitions and expertise by following Malcolm’s suggestions. We need to work on this issue in the general community. Homeopathy is a gift that the world needs.

Samuel Hahnemann, the Father of Homeopathy, left the foundation for universal truth. We continue to learn from his writings, and build upon them. He was a leader in the health care movement of his time. The homeopaths of today and the future owe him a debt of gratitude.

Hahnemann claimed that the medicine of his time did as much harm as good:

• My sense of duty would not easily allow me to treat the unknown pathological state of my suffering brethren with these unknown medicines. The thought of becoming in this way a murderer or malefactor towards the life of my fellow human beings was most terrible to me, so terrible and disturbing that I wholly gave up my practice in the first years of my married life and occupied myself solely with chemistry and writing.^[4]

Gladwell would certainly say that Hahnemann was a man of his time and place when communicable disease, a need to clean up living conditions, a time of war, transportation of innovative ideas and technologies, and increased liberties were ongoing. Now it is our turn to take the torch and light the way, to pass this legacy to the next generation.

Just as Hahnemann was an "outlier," a black sheep, and we have been looked upon as foolish by non-believers in the possibiities of energetic medicines, it is our time to rise above the fold and lead the way.

Forming Community

Now is the time to create a supportive homeopathic community. No longer, do we have to stand on the sidelines, or have only solo practices, but we can form alliances and ask for help from the government, from universities, from funding agencies for research, staff, teaching facilities and equipment.

This educational documentary is the first of a three part series with the goal of providing information about complementary medicines and treatments. Part one focuses on Homeopathy, an alternative medical system based on the ideas and studies of Samuel Hahnemann. Homeopathic remedies work with the body to cure the individual as a whole. Rather than masking symptoms homeopathy's goal is fix the problem at its root. This documentary features Jacob Mirman (a medical doctor, master homeopath, and author of Demystifying Homeopathy), Marylu Miller (a homeopathic practitioner), and Sujata Owens (master homeopath, and president of the Minnesota Homeopathic Association)

Teleconference Recordings: WholeHealthNow began a series of free live teleconferences with master homeopaths in January 2004.

TO BE A HEALER by Allison Maslan, CCH: Even at a young age Allison knew she had innate healing abilities. She asks you to see what experiences in your lives indicated your power. She searched for the door that would open to show her the direction to utilitze these abilities. It was a time when the Peace Corp was popular. I encourage you to read her story.

Listen to an audio file of Dana Ullman, M.P.H. , one of the foremost spokespersons for homeopathic medicine in the United States. He has authored several books, including the important 2007 title The Homeopathic Revolution, a book that documents famous people of the past 200 years who have been known to use and/or advocate for homeopathic medicine.

Online Free Homeopathic Radio Shows

International Homeopathy teacher George Vithoulkas, talks about the homeopathic remedy Arnica (materia medica & homeopathic essence) during one of his homeopathy courses at Alonissos. In addition, Prof Vithoulkas describes some interesting Arnica cases he has encountered in his homeopathic practice, and discusses the incorrect use of the remedy for unimportant injuries and issues.

National Center for Homeopathy provides resource for articles, classes, news, finding a homeopath in your area

Masters of Science in "Holistic Alternative Therapeutic Systems in Classical Homeopathy"

Homeopathic Master Clinician Course

Masters and Bachelors Program Masters and Bachelors Program at NSA "Vassil Levsky" University, Sofia, Bulgaria where a Master of Science Degree and Bachelor of Science Degree Program in Homeopathic Therapy is given.

Homeopathy4Everyone

A wealth of educational resources are available for free to the public through the internet

International Homeopathy teacher George Vithoulkas, talks about the homeopathic remedy Arnica (materia medica & homeopathic essence) during one of his homeopathy courses at Alonissos and is available online. See video. In addition, Prof Vithoulkas describes some interesting Arnica cases he has encountered in his homeopathic practice, and discusses the incorrect use of the remedy for unimportant injuries and issues.

George Vithoulkas runs the International Academy for Classical Homeopathy on the Greek island of Alonissos and has been an outspoken leader in firmly establishing homeopathy as a respected scientific discipline. Listen to an audio file about The Crisis Facing Homeopathy Today

From classroom to career the The Homeopathic Academy of Southern California believes that homeopathy is the fastest growing alternative medicine in the United States today as millions are experiencing profound, lasting healing. It is the second leading form of medicine on the planet. Their mission is to educate people about homeopathy’s safe, effective and powerful healing, thus empowering each person to realize their own potential for optimum health and to professionally train those with a passion for healing others.

Founded in 1995, the Montreal Institute of Classical Homeopathy offers a fully accredited training program (ICH/ECH/SPHQ) under the leadership of Judyann McNamara. She teaches theories of quantum physics to homeopathy based in Hahnemann's own concepts to health. The quantum approach helps the layman appreciate the scientific basis for homeopathy, and brings the practitioner a clearer picture of how to prescribe. McNamara graduated university with a double major in Biology and honors in Physics. After graduate level studies in field theory and a successful career in bio-medical research, this dual interest led to homeopathy. Audio File

Carol Boyce is on faculty at many homeopathy schools in the US and since 2004 has been Director of Education for The Homeopathic Symposium, a website offering interactive online clinical training and a video archive of cured cases. In 2007 Carol began making a series of documentary films about homeopathy.

Dr. Frederik Schroyens, MD, is the Chief Architect of the Synthesis Repertory. In 2009 he will be teaching in North America on the topic Unveiling the Language of the Patient, with seminars in Toronto, Seattle, San Diego and San Francisco.

In 2008, Jeremy Scherr began working in Tanzania on the Homeopathy for Health in Africa project, specifically intended to help patients with AIDS. Visit Jeremy Sherr's Website and learn more about the Tanzania Ireland Alternative Medicine Project.

Douglas Falkner, MD, Master Homeopath of Ashland Mountain Homeopathy believes homeopathy is “Powerful Medicine to Restore Health and Well Being.” As a Master Homeopath and educator, his goal is to provide both state of the art homeopathic care to patients, and to better inform and educate the public about the great benefits to health and well-being that homeopathic treatment has to offer.

• If homeopathy works so well, then why is it ignored or even disparaged by mainstream medicine? While many factors are clearly at play, I feel the main reason so few conventional doctors believe in or recommend the use of homeopathy stems from a deeply rooted training and belief in the material or mechanical theory of disease.

• In short, the modern scientific model of disease considers the human being as a broken machine, pure and simple. All disease conditions require a mechanical—drug or surgery—solution.

• In homeopathy, the remedy is aimed at restoring balance to the whole organism by rooting out the underlying disease cause, a disturbance of the person's life force. We live in a time where trust and faith in our own abilities to be healthy and heal ourselves is dwindling.

• We trust more in drugs and surgery than in our own life force and its capacity to regulate, balance, and restore health. As a result, we become diminished by the very system of healing we typically look to in order to make us well. It is not to say there is no place for drugs or surgery or regular medical care.

• For the short term, and in emergency situations, such interventions may be lifesaving. However, for the reversal of longstanding chronic illness and the restoration of health, vitality, and a deep sense of personal wellbeing, the modern medical approach seems to be failing us.

Dr. Morris Zubkewych, DC, D.Ac, D.Hom, author of "Homeopathy and the Digital Revolution" is forging new territory in homeopathic treatment as it help to establish a bio-physical explanation for our healing art. Listen to Homeopathy and the Digital Revolution which shows that the specific activity of biologically-active molecules (e.g., histamine, caffeine, adrenalin), not to mention the immunological electromagnetic signature of a virus or bacterium, can be recorded and digitized using a computer sound card, just like an ordinary sound. Life depends on signals exchanged among molecules. In biology, the phrase "molecular signal" is used often. Yet, biologists are not aware of what the physical nature of this signal is.

• We have known for decades that molecules vibrate. Every atom of every molecule and every intermolecular bond-the bridge that links the atoms-emits a group of specific frequencies. Specific frequencies of simple or complex molecules are being detected at distances of billions of light-years, thanks to radio-telescopes. Biophysicists describe these frequencies as an essential physical characteristic of matter, but biologists and biochemists do not consider that electromagnetic waves can play a role in molecular functions themselves.