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Bitter pill for medicine course
No new students are to be enrolled on a homeopathic medicine degree course at the University of Central Lancashire, it has emerged.
Course leaders decided not to enrol a new intake on the BSc in homeopathy because of low numbers.
The news comes a day after the Evening Post reported how the university had come under fire from its own staff after new courses in Chinese herbal medicine and aromatherapy were branded "quackery" by senior psychology lecturer Dr Mike Eslea.
UCLan has offered courses in homeopathy for many years and was only the second institution in Europe to offer the subject as an undergraduate degree.
Now course leaders Kate Chatfield and Jean Duckworth have said they will put the BSc degree on hold until they "see what happens in the general climate".
In a statement, they said: "UCLan has been the subject of many attacks by the anti-homeopathy league."
As well as an outspoken open letter written by psychology lecturer Dr Eslea, homeopathic medicine courses have also come under fire from critics at other institutions, including Prof David Colquhoun of University College London.
The statement added: "The relentless attacks have taken their toll and it appears that they (the critics) have won this small victory."
However their decision will not affect the masters course at the university, which will continue as normal and the department will focus on academic research.
Jean Duckworth is currently on holiday and Kate Chatfield was unavailable for comment.
A spokesman for UCLan said: "Due to a lack of demand there will be no student intake for the BSc in homeopathic medicine for the academic year 2008-09.
"Those students studying on years two and three of the course will continue as normal."
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Wednesday 08 February 2012
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