Foundation Certificate
Who this is for
Registered health practitioners (AHPRA or recognised equivalent) who want to add traditional medicine competencies to their existing scope of practice. This is an entry point, not a standalone qualification. You leave this tier able to understand and engage with the Institute's framework — not yet to practise independently within it.
What you'll learn
Systems Biology Primer
The foundational scientific framework that underpins the Institute's approach to traditional medicine. Network pharmacology, complex adaptive systems, and the convergence thesis between traditional and modern therapeutic logic.
Clinical Reasoning Methodology
Division-specific clinical reasoning frameworks. How to assess, formulate, and plan within your chosen division's therapeutic paradigm. Case-based from the outset.
Regulatory & Ethical Frameworks
The regulatory landscape governing traditional medicine practice in Australia. TGA requirements, AHPRA scope considerations, informed consent for complex interventions, and Indigenous knowledge governance.
This tier is framed as literacy. You leave with the ability to understand the Institute's framework, engage with its research and protocols, and make an informed decision about continuing to Tier 2.
Delivery structure
Didactic Content
Self-paced study modules covering the theoretical and scientific foundations. Completed on your own schedule. This is what you study — not what you attend.
Clinical Intensive
The high-value component. Case-based learning sessions, supervised observation within the Sohma House patient population, peer case conferencing. Every synchronous hour is mentorship, not lecture.
Assessment
Portfolio-based. No written examinations. Clinical case documentation begins at this tier — your portfolio becomes the ongoing record of your professional development throughout the Institute's credentialing pathway.
Prerequisites
Current AHPRA registration or recognised international equivalent. No prior training in traditional medicine required — that's what this tier provides.
Pathway forward
Tier 2 Entry
Completion qualifies for direct entry into the Advanced Diploma in your chosen division.
Affiliate Network Membership
Access to Tier A validated protocols, continuing education, and peer case conferencing through the Practitioner Network.
Fees & funding
Tuition fees, payment plan options, and VET Student Loans eligibility details will be published prior to the first intake. Contact the Institute for current information.