Support & membership
Membership
会员计划
Why join
Why join the college
You keep the community clinic running
The free consultation programme is funded by the college, and membership income is one of the sources that pays for it. Every Friend and Professional Member is directly underwriting appointments for people who could not otherwise have one.
You support students who need help
Student bursaries are funded from the same place. Some of our students are career changers on reduced incomes, and a bursary is often the difference between enrolling and not enrolling.
You get access, not just goodwill
Member rates on CPD, the recorded lecture archive, dispensary access at trade terms for practitioners, and priority booking for lectures and consultations.
You join a professional community
Case discussion evenings, careers workshops and a directory that patients and referrers can check. For practitioners working alone, that community is often the most valuable part of membership.
What membership supports
The college publishes an annual account of what membership income paid for. The figures below are placeholders until those accounts are confirmed.
- Free consultations funded each year
- [XXX]Free consultations funded each year
- Student bursaries awarded each year
- [XX]Student bursaries awarded each year
- Students supported by a bursary
- [XX]Students supported by a bursary
- Of membership income directed to these programmes
- [XX]%Of membership income directed to these programmes
[CONFIRM: bursary criteria, application process and deadlines]
Fees are on enquiry
The college does not publish membership fees on this website, and no fee figure has been set for display. Fees depend on the tier and are confirmed in writing with your joining pack. Enquire and we will send the current schedule.
Membership tiers
Choose the tier that fits
Friend of the College
Members of the public with an interest in Chinese medicine
Enquire for feesAnnual
- Priority booking for free community consultations
- Advance notice of public lectures, with complimentary places
- The college newsletter, including plain-English explainers
- 10% discount on public short courses
- Access to the recorded lecture archive
Membership supports the college's free community consultation programme.
- Most popular
Student Member
All enrolled students of the college
Included with enrolmentFor the duration of your programme
- Full library and recorded-lecture access
- Access to the herb dispensary reference collection
- Additional supervised clinic hours on request
- Careers and practice-setup workshops
- Discounts on CPD short courses after graduation
Automatic for enrolled students — no separate application needed.
Professional Member
Qualified practitioners — acupuncture, herbal medicine, Tui Na
Enquire for feesAnnual
- CPD short courses at member rates
- Listing in the college's practitioner directory
- Access to the herb dispensary at trade terms
- Invitations to clinical case discussion evenings
- Use of the college's resource library for research
Practitioner directory listings are verified against qualifications before publication.
Corporate Member
Employers, clinics, care providers and partner organisations
Enquire for feesAnnual, by organisation
- Workplace wellbeing programme at preferential rates
- Places on the Chinese Health Literacy course for staff
- Lunchtime lecture series delivered on your premises or online
- Named contact at the college for referrals and advice
- Co-branded community health events
Corporate programmes are scoped individually. Please contact us to discuss your organisation's needs.
Fees are available on enquiry and are confirmed in writing. No fee figures are published on this website.
Compare
Member benefits side by side
| Benefit | Friend | Student | Professional | Corporate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free community consultations | Priority booking | Included | Priority booking | — |
| Public lectures | Advance notice + complimentary places | Included | Included | Lunchtime series on your premises |
| Recorded lecture archive | Included | Included | — | — |
| Library and reference access | — | Full library access | Resource library for research | — |
| Herb dispensary | — | Reference collection | Trade terms | — |
| Supervised clinic hours | — | Additional hours on request | — | — |
| CPD and short courses | 10% discount on public short courses | Post-graduation discounts | Member rates | Health Literacy places for staff |
| Careers and practice-setup workshops | — | Included | — | — |
| Practitioner directory listing | — | — | Included | — |
| Clinical case discussion evenings | — | — | Invitations | — |
| Workplace wellbeing programmes | — | — | — | Preferential rates |
| Named contact at the college | — | — | — | Included |
| Co-branded community health events | — | — | — | Included |
| Cost | Enquire for fees | Included with enrolment | Enquire for fees | Enquire for fees |
Educational content notice
Content on this website describes Chinese medicine as it is taught and practised historically and is provided for educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional about your own health, and never delay or stop conventional treatment because of something you have read here.
What membership does not include
Membership is not clinical care. It does not entitle a member to treatment, and it does not include a course of consultations. What it provides is priority booking for the free community consultation programme, access to teaching and resources, and — for practitioners — a professional community and a verified directory listing.
Joining
How to join
Step 1
Choose your tier
The tiers above set out what each membership includes. If you are unsure, tell us what you want from membership and we will recommend the cheapest tier that delivers it.Step 2
Send the membership enquiry
Use the form on this page. We ask for your name, contact details and the tier you are interested in. Nothing is charged at this stage, and no card details are taken anywhere on this website.Step 3
Verification, where the tier requires it
Professional Membership requires evidence of qualification and current insurance before a directory listing is published. Corporate Membership is scoped with the organisation. [CONFIRM: which documents are required, and who verifies them]Step 4
Joining pack and payment arrangements
The college office sends the fee schedule, the terms of membership and the payment options in writing. [CONFIRM: accepted payment methods, instalment options and membership year dates] Your benefits begin once membership is confirmed.
No online payment on this site
This website does not take payments and there is no checkout. Membership fees are confirmed in writing by the college office, along with the payment methods available. If you are sent a payment request that does not come from enquiries@scmat.org.uk, please check with us before paying anything.
The form opens your own email application with the message already written, because the site is served statically and no form backend is connected yet. More on how the forms work.
Learning
Signing up for classes and courses
Taught programmes
Enrolment through admissions
Diplomas and certificates are entered through the admissions process: an application, a check of entry requirements, and a short conversation. Offers include the fee schedule and payment options.
Applications are assessed; places are not first-come, first-served.
Short courses & CPD
By enquiry, then confirmation
Short courses, CPD days and public classes are booked by enquiry. Tell us which course you want and we will confirm availability, the fee and the joining instructions — members receive their discount at that point.
CPD certificates are issued for practitioner courses.
Public classes & lectures
Register through the events listing
Public lectures and community classes are listed on the events page, with dates, times and how to register. Many are free, and some are recorded for those who registered.
Free places for members are confirmed at registration.
What we have deliberately not built
There is no basket, no checkout and no card form on this website. The college has not yet chosen a payment provider, and a payment flow that takes money without a confirmed enrolment behind it would create more problems than it solves. Enrolment and payment are completed with the college office, and the fee schedule is issued in writing. [CONFIRM: when online enrolment and payment will be available]
Terms
Terms, renewal and cancellation
- Membership runs for the period shown for your tier. Student Membership lasts for the duration of your programme and ends with it.
- There is no automatic renewal. We will contact you before your membership ends, and you decide whether to continue.
- You may cancel by writing to the college office. Notice periods and any refund arrangement are set out in the terms of membership.
- The college may change member benefits between membership years. Where a benefit is withdrawn, we will tell members in advance and explain what replaces it.
- Professional Members must hold current qualifications and insurance for the modalities they list. Listings are removed if cover lapses.
- Members are expected to follow the college's code of conduct at events, in teaching spaces and in the online community.
- Your details are held under UK data protection law and are never sold or shared for marketing by anyone else.
Notice periods, refund arrangements and the membership year dates are pending confirmation: [CONFIRM: cancellation notice period], [CONFIRM: refund policy], [CONFIRM: membership year start and end].
If something goes wrong
If you are unhappy with any part of your membership, tell the college office first — most problems are administrative and are resolved quickly. If that does not settle it, the formal route is set out in the complaints policy.
Membership and clinical services
Members are entitled to priority booking for free community consultations. Membership does not include treatment, and a consultation is an assessment rather than a course of care. Practitioners looking for case advice should look at consulting and advisory.
Questions
Membership questions
How much does membership cost?
Fees are available on enquiry and are confirmed in writing with your joining pack. The college has not published fee figures on this website. Tell us which tier interests you and we will send the current schedule — including any instalment options.
Do I have to be a student to join?
No. The Friend tier is open to any member of the public with an interest in Chinese medicine, and the Professional and Corporate tiers are open to qualified practitioners and organisations. Student Membership is automatic on enrolment and requires no separate application.
Does membership include treatment or consultations?
No. Membership gives priority booking for the free community consultation programme, which is an assessment with general advice. Membership does not include treatment or a course of care, and nothing about membership changes the clinical assessment or the advice you receive.
How do I sign up for a class or a short course?
Taught programmes are entered through the admissions process, with an application and a check of entry requirements. Short courses, CPD days and public classes are booked by enquiry through the college office — see short courses and CPD. Public lectures are registered through the events listing.
Can I pay for membership online?
Not at present. There is no checkout on this website and the college has not yet chosen a payment provider. Fees are confirmed in writing and paid through the college office. Never pay a membership request that does not come from the college’s published email address.
How is the practitioner directory verified?
Professional Member listings are checked against qualifications and current insurance before publication, and are removed if cover lapses. The directory is for information; it is not a recommendation or an endorsement of any practitioner. [CONFIRM: verification process, evidence required and review frequency]
Can I cancel my membership?
Yes. Write to the college office and your membership will be cancelled in line with the terms, which set out the notice period and any refund arrangement. There is no automatic renewal, so a membership will lapse on its own if you do nothing. [CONFIRM: notice period and refund terms]
What happens to my membership if I finish my programme?
Student Membership ends with your programme. Graduates are eligible for Professional Membership, and the college offers post-graduation discounts on CPD short courses to help with the transition into practice. [CONFIRM: graduate transition arrangements and eligibility window]
Join the college
Tell us which tier interests you and what you would like from membership. We will send the fee schedule, the terms and a straight answer about which tier is right for you.