When I started working as the relationship coordinator for the Australian Traditional-Medicine Society (ATMS), I was tasked with helping students to find their feet and get to know their industry.
I am a naturopath and have been a member of ATMS for over 15 years. My experiences moving from student to accredited practitioner are what make me so driven in my role to ensure that others know the benefits of becoming a member of an accredited association.
When we are studying, we become so focused on the content that it’s sometimes hard to see past the studies and into the future of being an accredited practitioner. There are several reasons I was initially attracted to ATMS and why I continue to renew my membership each year.
Five things about ATMS and its free student membership
From the classroom to the clinic
ATMS provides Transition to Practice training to ensure students and members feel confident and are equipped with the right knowledge and skills when looking to start their own clinic.
Hosted by highly experienced practitioners covering everything you need to know when setting up your clinic and starting out in business, this program covers matters from private indemnity insurance and finding the right location to creating a website, running your social media and knowing how to manage your finances. Transition to Practice can be accessed via the ATMS webinar library as an on-demand series or join us in Sydney on Sunday, 19 February.
EBSCO access
As a student member of ATMS you have free access to the Alternative Medicine research package and to the Rehabilitation Reference Centre with hundreds of evidence-based clinical summaries and 10,000 exercise images, helping you not only during your study but to continue to learn as an accredited practitioner.
ATMS and EBSCO also host free webinars on how to access and best use the tools for EBSCO allowing you to increase your research abilities. Once your studies are completed ATMS-accredited members still have free EBSCO access.
Awards and grants
ATMS offers education grants for student members who are interested in undertaking training in natural medicine. The Simon Schot Education Grant awards 10 recipients A$500 reimbursement to go towards their studies. The recipients are announced at the AGM each year in November.
ATMS also offers a research grant that supports outcomes of the ATMS values and strategic plan. The research grant awards up to A$10,000 for members who are undertaking larger natural medicine research projects.
The annual Natural Medicine Awards celebrate individuals in the industry recognising a Practitioner of the Year, Clinic of the Year and Student of the Year.
Advocacy
ATMS works hard to represent its multi-modality members with government, health funds and the wider industry. CEO Charles Wurf, president Peter Berryman and treasurer Christine Pope all regularly travel to Canberra to meet with key politicians and decision-makers. During COVID-19, ATMS collaborated with three other industry associations including the Australian Natural Therapists Association, Massage & Myotherapy Australia and Myotherapy Association Australia to get the best possible advice for member practitioners.
CPE program
Did you know once you become an accredited practitioner you will need to maintain 20 CPE points of learning per financial year? As a student you don’t need to worry about continuing professional education right now, but if you are interested in specialising in one particular area ATMS has the broadest education program in Australia, attracting leading experts across ingestive, bodywork and massage and Chinese medicine.
Seminars are national, with most being held in capital cities throughout the year. Webinars can be viewed live or purchased as a recording, covering topics like nutrigenomics, metabolic diseases and diagnostics to chronic pain and lower back pain for bodyworkers and hypnotherapy.
Why should you join ATMS?
The natural medicine industry is a tight community which brings together so many different people who are all passionate about helping others.
Kylie from Connect Kinesiology says, “I recently graduated from the College of Complementary Medicine (CCM) in Kinesiology and Mind Body Medicine and am now a fully accredited member of ATMS.
Of all the associations, I have found their seminars and ongoing information to be the most informative and practical. If you are new to setting up a practice or looking to improve your existing business, I highly recommend attending both their Transition to Practice and Accelerate Your Practice events.”
By joining an industry association you are held to the highest standard, including continued education and a code of conduct, which advises members of conduct towards clients, colleagues, the natural medicine profession and the broader community that is acceptable, as well as what constitutes unacceptable behaviour.
Free student membership
ATMS offers free student membership to anyone studying an ATMS-approved course. By joining our community, you become a member of Australia’s leading natural medicine association and will be supported on your journey to becoming an Accredited Professional Practitioner.
“At Torrens University Australia, we are committed to providing meaningful connections to industry throughout our programs. We provide our students with the optimum combination of qualifications, relevant and transferable soft skills, first-hand immersive experiences and industry connections. This allows our students to graduate work-ready with a competitive edge and to effectively establish and grow their careers. A key part of our commitment is our industry speaker events, trade shows and industry-endorsed curriculum. ATMS has supported Torrens University’s complementary medicine students in all these areas and we are proud to have outstanding students’ achievements recognised through the ATMS Natural Medicine Awards. We had the privilege to have one of our Clinical Nutrition students awarded Student of the Year for 2021,” says a spokesperson for Torrens University Australia.
Connect with ATMS today.
T: 1800 456 855
W: atms.com.au
