Ayurveda students are often highly interested in the intuitive, esoteric, mystical or glamorous aspects of medicine. But they also need to develop analytical skills to accurately assess and diagnose imbalances.

Most clients simply want to know the treatments you offer are reliable and make sense. They care more about their quality of life, ability to run after their grandchild, or soothe their joint pain, than the glamour of medicine.

When you look at the school's marketing materials, are they aimed at clinical precision? Does the school know how to help you succeed as a clinician?

Spa-like images show where the school's competency lies. Spa-images may indicate the school has a focus in this area and may not know how to train clinicians.

While all schools offer basic understanding of psychological manifestation of disease, students should know that spiritual treatments are not covered extensively in the classical Ayurvedic texts. Classical texts testify to the importance of one's spiritual health. However, Ayurvedic texts do not describe specific spiritual treatments on a disease by disease basis.

Instead, Ayurvedic texts recommend studying religious scriptures for specific knowledge in this area. Read more about the historical origins of Ayurveda.

To fill this lack of spiritual instruction in the ancient texts, and to satisfy student demand for a more magical, mystical version of Ayurveda, many schools teach yoga spirituality and transcendental meditation techniques under the name of Ayurveda. This is repetitive for students of yoga who come to Ayurveda.

Since colonial times, the West has romanticized Indian culture, making it appear exotic, fantastic or magical. Schools that do this, even those run by Indian practitioners, are capitalizing on this colonial attitude and culturally appropriating Ayurveda.

Indian Ayurvedic practitioners see emphasis on spirituality and magic as a move away from clinical medicine, and harmful to Ayurveda's reputation. To most indians, Ayurveda is simply familiar.

Spiritual counseling is a vast topic requiring in-depth knowledge of psychology and religious tradition - an entire degree in itself. Schools that try to juggle a psychology and a medical degree into a 1 or 2 year program graduate students that are under educated, and under confident, in both.

Ayurveda is amazing because of its insights into the body. It is great because it works, not because it is supernatural. However, students should be wary of schools that make Ayurvedic healing appear magical, including from well-known celebrity Ayurveda teachers.

Ayurveda employers know that Ayurveda clubs rely on statements made by the school, have no authority with the government, and do not conduct audits. So membership in these groups plays little to no role in their hiring decisions.

The most important measure of a schools level of organization is licensure by the State college board. See below.

Accrediting bodies frequently serve the interests of the schools that created them, rather than the clinicians (you).

Does the school scare students by falsely claiming they have to join a particular group to practice professionally? Or, do they clearly inform students that the practice of Ayurveda is legal without accreditation or certification?

Many schools avoid scrutiny by seeking exemption, typically by pretending to be a religious institution, or by moving to a state where licensure isn't required (Montana).

Schools that skirt licensing typically have low enrollment and generally aren't operating according to best practices for schools.

Schools that operate illegally may face criminal penalties and be shut down at any time - causing loss of student's entire tuition.

Courses shorter than 2 years at the counselor level, or 4 years at the practitioner level, can only give an overview of topics - and cannot give students insight into pathogenesis.

An exception to this are courses focused on a particular disease specialty or system of the body rather than all of Ayurveda.

Avoid schools that boost enrollment by eliminating depth. Frequently these students are unable to become successful clinicians.

Since schools calculate hours differently, the depth of education may be hard to assess. Here are some ways to assess level and quality of the education you will receive:

• Ask to see a sample class
• Check that school publications demonstrate mastery of the subject.
• Check for novel research that demonstrates the school's commitment to studying Ayurveda and improving self-knowledge. Good schools will study Ayurveda themselves.
• Look for publications demonstrating the school's competency in many specific, hard to treat diseases.
• Check the academic record and training of the school founder

Look for sign that the founder has:

• Clear thinking and good analytical skills
• A personal clinical practice in Ayurveda
• Many years of training / experience

Paradoxically, in-person schools may have less student client interaction than in online programs. Check the actual level of personal contact the student will have with clients in the in-person program. Sitting 5 rows back and 40 feet from the client, a student attending an in-person programs may barely see the client. Use of technology and multi-media brings clients closer - a magnified image of a tongue on a computer screen can reveal much more detail than possible even with the client in the room.

On the other hand, some online schools have very little teacher-student interaction. Self-paced programs typically offer the least interaction with teachers and peers. Check with the school to learn how often the class will meet live for discussion.

Ayurveda is an ancient approach to medicine that has been supporting health for thousands of years. As it moves into areas that are dominated by western medicine, Ayurveda can be brushed aside as outdated, woo-woo, and full of opaque terms. This can be hugely frustrating for practitioners who know the positive impact Ayurveda can have.

Scientific research is a powerful tool for undoing some of this false perception of the practice. Well-conducted studies carry weight and legitimacy among medical professionals. Research studies increase the confidence members of your community have in Ayurveda, particularly those who may be unfamiliar and untrusting of a seemingly exotic approach, like Ayurveda.

It is important for students of Ayurveda to be equipped with in-depth theory and modern research. This allows them to feel confident in their knowledge whether they are speaking with doctors, therapists, athletes or construction workers.

Many people come to Ayurveda seeking enrichment and support for their personal health - not to practice professionally. To boost revenues, schools frequently try to attract as many of these non-clinical students as they can, diverting the school's focus away from the training necessary for professional clinical practice. A sign of this is school marketing that projects a romantic image of Ayurveda.

If the school must present a romantic image of Ayurveda in order to get students, instead of a professional one, how well will they be able to help you present your practice professionally?

As practitioners, we need to be able to present and explain Ayurveda to everyone in the community, including clients who don't do yoga, trendy spirituality, and those with limited knowledge of alternative medicine. Graduates from schools that are exclusive to these groups frequently produce graduates that reach a small clientele.

Presenting your Ayurvedic services as approachable, understandable, and necessary supports the spreading of awareness about Ayurveda. It also supports the legitimacy of the practice among those who may still be skeptical of complementary medicine.

Not too long ago, the medical industry was very skeptical of Chiropractors. Through focused, professional development, the public perspective of Chiropractors has changed. Now, 35 million Americans see a chiropractor each year. Chiropractic is a complementary medicine that was positioned as medically-adjacent and, so, gained legitimacy.

How comfortable will established health professionals, doctors, lawyers, policy makers, and other leaders, feel referring their clients to your future clinical practice, based on how the school presents themselves? Does the school make Ayurveda look reliable to these individuals, or other-worldly or exotic?

Consider the range of individuals in your town or community, with their similarities and differences. Does the school's marketing and imagery appeal to a broad range of them or just a small fraction only, eg: is it packaged for those who do yoga, and yoga spirituality, only? Would the school's marketing appeal to athletes, to accountants, to construction workers?

As a tradition, Ayurveda becomes rigid, sentimental, and unchangeable. When approached as a cultural tradition, the focus is on Ayurveda, not the client. Patient-centered care focuses on the culture of the client, not the culture of the medicine.