YEAR 4

welcome to betonica

2025 - 2026

WELCOME

Welcome to Year 4 Starter Course of the Betonica Medical Herbalist Training Programme. Congratulations on getting to the final step. You have put alot of hard work into training. This year will give you the space to explore herbal practice, refine your business plan, specialise with your chosen dissertation topic and have the opportunity to demonstrate your well-honed skills at the Final Clinical Examination.

Please scroll down to the end of each of these pages to make sure you have carefully read all the preparation material. For example, this page has a set of steps at the end.

This introductory page contains the essential general course information and helps you prepare for the start of the academic year. You will be given access to the full Learning Platform at the start of the 2025 - 2026 academic year on 1st September 2025.

The school year is divided into three terms (Sept-Dec; Jan-May; Jun-August). Course materials are released 2-4 weeks prior to the start of term.

We will be going into more detail in regards to what’s expected of you throughout the year and examples of assignments etc., at your first seminar day on 13th September 2025.

HEAD OF YEAR 4

NIK HISCOK
Medical Herbalist & BETONICA GRADUATE

Each year at Betonica has a lead teacher, known as the Head of Year. They are a point of contact for general student/course queries, pastoral support and feedback. On top of teaching sessions, the Head of Year will organise a group tutorial session at least once per term to review class learning. This will also be an opportunity for the student representative to provide course feedback.

Nik graduated from Betonica as a Medical Herbalist in 2022 having spent the previous two decades working in the acute & emergency medical environment including within the NHS Minor Injuries & Theatres departments and privately as a festival medical services provider for many events throughout the UK.

She currently combines a thriving herbal practice, seeing patients both online and in-person from her clinic and apothecary on the outskirts of Glastonbury, with life on an off-grid small-holding including seasonal shepherdess responsibilities and the development of the herb gardens with the aim to of becoming self-sufficient in the majority of herbs used within the practice and promoting sustainable practices within herbal medicine.

Find out more about Nik: https://we2wyrdwoodbotanicals.org/

EMAIL NIK

Welcome! I am so pleased to support you on the FOURTH stage of your path.
Please reach out if you have any questions.

— NIK HISCOCK, HEAD OF YEAR 4

TASKS TO BE COMPLETED BEFORE THE START OF THE ACADEMIC YEAR

Prepare a dedicated study space for you to go to work in.
Buy a year planner and get planning assignments and study.
Study planning: Start thinking about how you will organise your time and set aside time to study, work and revise over the year. From September you will have access to your assignments and submission dates list in order to add to this plan.
Read through each step of the learning platform to prepare for the year ad complete any important tasks, for example, buying your reading list and working out how you learn best with the study skills handbook.
Make sure you take the necessary steps to whitelist the Betonica emails in your email settings, so that you receive all important school-related emails directly in your inbox without any issues.
Enter the seminar and tutorial dates into your diary (please note that some short (1-2 hour) tutorials dates will be released in August).
Prepare for clinic: Carefully read what you need to do to prepare and complete any time-sensitive tasks.
At the end of August, come back to review the starter pages.