"I became interested in complementary medicine when I was struggling with fibromyalgia. I used various complementary treatment modalities including acupuncture, energy medicine and guided imagery and found that I had less anxiety, more energy and less pain. I received training in these areas because I wanted to bring this experience to others to help them on their “healing journey”.

As I learned more about complementary medicine, I realized that I wanted to find an accredited college that offered courses, and preferably a post graduate degree, in Complementary Alternative Medicine (CAM). I searched extensively on the internet, and the only fully online, accredited college I could find offering this type of course work was the American College of Healthcare Sciences. As I reviewed their course descriptions and requirements for a post graduate degree, I became impressed with the breadth of the content of the courses. As a nurse, I know the importance of evidence-based medicine, and that is the approach that is supported to complete their degrees.

I have an Associate’s degree in nursing and a Bachelor of Science in Human Relations and Business, so I decided I was ready to pursue a Master’s degree in Complementary Alternative Medicine.

The company I work for, Humana, has a wonderful tuition reimbursement policy. My company will only provide tuition reimbursement for college or university classes taught at a school that is accredited by the US Department of Education (or regional accrediting bodies). ACHS met that criteria. The rest is history! I worked on my MS in CAM for six years, while working full time. I completed my degree in August of 2018. Humana paid for all of my tuition and fees – approximately $20,000.

As I became immersed in my degree program, I was very impressed by the caliber and knowledge of the instructors, as well as the content of the courses.  The work was not easy, but it was interesting and achievable. I am very blessed to have found ACHS, and to have the tuition reimbursement benefit from my employer. I encourage anyone reading this who has a tuition reimbursement benefit to consider pursuing a degree program. This is a very rich benefit! Please don’t let it go to waste!"