I readily agree with that. As Dirty Harry said "A man's got to know his limitations." ;-)
I went to a school directed by one of the best herbalists in western herbalism in the country. It was a broad based education that put the student in a position to take it in several directions. Many have become clinical herbalists, others opened herb stores (which is probably the best way to be a clinical herbalist) and some went into manufacturing while still others went on to careers in medicine. One gal I went to school with planned on becoming an RNN from the outset.
I'm more of the outdoors type and tried to make a living wildcrafting (collecting and processing wild medicinal plants) but I got a bit burned out with the lousy business ethics of the people I tried to work with. Too many fraking liberals. I had fewer problems with cheats and liars when I was in construction doing carpentry and contracting. Maybe that was just my luck because there are some great people in the field. I just had have a change.
Sooooo, I don't make a living at it but I am willing to help people that ask and I have a ton of herbs of all kinds. Mostly wild plants from the American west.
I'm rusty now but ten years ago I could step out of my truck anywhere in the western states and do at least an hour's herb walk off the top of my head. Having grown up fishing, hunting and camping it added a whole new dimension to the outdoors for me. In fact it changed my whole view of the southwestern deserts. I have always loved the mountains but didn't care too much for the desert. Now the desert is endlessly fascinating and beautiful to me. There is much more diversity of plant life there and some of the most unique plants in terms of phytopharmacology grow there.
As far as herbal medicine itself goes I think Traditional Chinese Medicine is the most advanced and the diagnostic protocols are the best. But they go well beyond herbs in therapeutic mediums. However it is said in herbal circles that one can learn a handful of local plants for their own uses and become effective with them for most things that herbs can do. I think that is basically true. Add a few "special" herbs that do things few other herbs can and you have a pretty effective medical kit.
Going back to the limitations of herbs; my teacher described botanical medicine as generally being most useful for sub-clinical pathologies. In layman's terms that means those chronic problems that physicians don't do well or don't even recognize as treatable by standard practice medicine.
TigersEye, I generally distrust "alternative" medicine peddlers, but I've met some practitioners who were indeed gifted. I went to a chiropractor for awhile and his treatments restored my left hand, which had become numb after I strained my upper back. I finally went to him after two weeks of physical therapy failed to improve the condition.
Besides an obvious,somewhat mysterious, tactile sensitivity, what set him apart was his understanding of the limitations of his art-- if he found something wrong, he wouldn't hesitate to send you to an MD. He didn't peddle vitamins, as many do. He had a gift, but more important, he knew what he didn't know.
You show that same humility, which is the root of wisdom. It's a shame you're not practicing full time. Do you have a website? Ever considered that?
Good for you! I have had the same path. Now I love the desert, and can't get enough. I think the austeriy of the deserts make it that much more beautiful.