The final phase of the Professional Qualifying Examination (PQE) for trainee Medical Herbalists begins today at the Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital (TQMH) in Mampong-Akuapem, marking a crucial milestone in Ghana’s evolving landscape of scientific herbal medicine practice.
Today’s session, which is expected to begin any moment from now, represents the clinical climax of a journey that started more than a year ago — a demanding period of structured training at the Centre for Plant Medicine Research (CPMR), coupled with rigorous clinical rotations at TQMH.
These candidates are graduates of the BSc Herbal Medicine programme at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), a pioneering programme on the continent. Their qualifying exams assess not only academic knowledge but the practical competence required to safely and professionally integrate herbal medicine into Ghana’s healthcare system.
Testing Real-World Clinical Competence
Unlike traditional written exams, today’s PQE is entirely practical and patient-centred, designed to evaluate the trainees’ ability to function confidently as clinical professionals.
The examination consists of:
- Patient assessment & diagnosis
- History taking and physical examination
- Laboratory test interpretation & recommendations
- Formulation of safe, evidence-based herbal treatment plans
- Basic nursing and clinical management skills
- Professional ethics and patient communication
The setup mirrors real-life outpatient scenarios, requiring trainees to demonstrate the clinical judgment, safety awareness, and professional conduct expected of frontline practitioners.
A Critical Step for Professional Recognition
Successful candidates will qualify as Medical Herbalists, licensed to practice under Ghana’s Ministry of Health and the Traditional Medicine Practice Council (TMPC). This qualification is a key component of Ghana’s national strategy to strengthen regulated, evidence-based herbal healthcare.
With herbal medicine already integrated into selected public hospitals, today’s assessment ensures that only individuals with solid scientific grounding and clinical capability will enter the healthcare workforce.
Bridging Tradition with Modern Clinical Standards
The integration of herbal medicine into mainstream clinical environments requires practitioners who understand both traditional knowledge and modern medical science. The one-year training at CPMR — one of Africa’s leading research hubs — equips candidates with:
- Advanced herbal pharmacology
- Good manufacturing practices
- Toxicology and dosage safety
- Phytochemistry and evidence-based practice
- Hands-on clinical exposure with real patients
Today’s practical exam represents the final test of whether these trainees can translate that knowledge into safe, effective patient care.
