I. Agreement of Terms
Enrollment in any program, course, or workshop offered by Apricot Grove Educational Services, LLC constitutes agreement to these terms, including payment terms, at the time of registration.
II. Professionalism
Students agree to conduct themselves professionally, respectfully, and safely at all times. The instructor may remove a student from any class for unprofessional, disrespectful, or unsafe behavior without prior warning. Such determinations are made solely at the instructor’s discretion and are not subject to review or appeal. Students removed for these reasons are not eligible for a refund.
III. Class Safety
- Students are responsible for their own physical and emotional well-being. If at any point an exercise feels uncomfortable, unsafe, or produces an adverse reaction, the student should withdraw from that activity and notify the attending instructor.
- Students will not participate in activities they believe threaten their personal safety, or in exercises and lectures they find invasive or uncomfortable. Students who feel tired or ill should excuse themselves, notify the instructor, and refrain from further participation.
- Students agree not to perform any technique observed in a clinical demonstration until it has been formally demonstrated and reviewed by the instructor.
- Students agree not to perform treatments between the seventh cervical vertebra (C7) and the second lumbar vertebra (L2), in the thorax, or in the axilla unless specifically directed by the instructor. Acupuncture needles must be properly accounted for and disposed of in an approved sharps container.
- If a student experiences an injury or medical emergency, the school may provide first aid and contact emergency medical services when reasonably appropriate. The student authorizes such action and is responsible for any resulting medical or transportation costs. Nothing in these terms obligates the school or any instructor to provide medical diagnosis or treatment.
IV. Assumption of Risk and Warranty
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, each student voluntarily assumes the known and reasonably foreseeable risks associated with participation in course activities, including hands-on examination, acupuncture, needling, bodywork, and other clinical techniques. Such risks may include pain, bruising, bleeding, infection, fainting, burns, nerve or tissue injury, pneumothorax, and other serious injury. Each student releases Apricot Grove Educational Services, LLC, Dr. Edward Neal, and their respective owners, instructors, employees, and contractors from claims arising from such risks or from their ordinary negligence, but not from gross negligence, reckless or intentional misconduct, or any liability that cannot lawfully be waived.
Apricot Grove Educational Services, LLC makes no warranties, express or implied, with respect to the contents of the course materials or this website, and disclaims all implied warranties, including any warranty of merchantability or warranty of fitness for a particular purpose.
Course content is provided solely for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, establish clinical competence, confer any license or certification, or authorize a student to perform any technique outside the scope of the student’s applicable license, training, supervision, or local law. Each student is solely responsible for determining whether and how any course content may lawfully and appropriately be used in the student’s professional practice.
V. Indemnification
Each student will indemnify and hold harmless Apricot Grove Educational Services, LLC and its instructors from third-party claims arising from the student’s unauthorized, unlawful, or negligent performance of any technique outside an instructor-supervised course activity, except to the extent caused by the indemnified party’s own negligence or misconduct.
VI. Supporting Your Journey
We understand that life is unpredictable. Students who encounter a significant challenge — such as a medical illness, family difficulty, or sudden financial hardship — may be eligible for a leave of absence with instructor approval. Students granted a leave may resume their studies at the same point in a future calendar year, subject to available space.
VII. Course Prerequisites
VIII. Wisdom of the Cosmos
No prerequisites are required for The Wisdom of the Cosmos (online lectures).
IX. Neijing Nature-Based Medicine: 2-Year Postgraduate Mentorship Training
No prerequisites are required for the 2-Year Postgraduate Mentorship Training (Online Lecture Series or Full Program)
X. Eligibility for Clinical Skills Training
To participate in clinical skills training during Clinical Practicums, students must meet one of the following requirements:
- Hold a current medical license in their local area (where applicable), or
- Be currently enrolled in a recognized training program.
Acceptable medical licenses and training programs include:
- Licensed Acupuncturist (LAc)
- Medical Doctor (MD)
- Physician Assistant (PA) or Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)
- Naturopathic Physician
- Chiropractor
- Registered Nurse (RN)
- Licensed Professional Body Worker
XI. Neijing Nature-Based Medicine Advanced Training
Eligibility for the Advanced Training requires successful completion of the full Neijing Nature-Based Medicine: 2-Year Postgraduate Mentorship Training (Online Lecture Series and all 3 Clinical Practicums). Due to the clinical nature of the Advanced Training, applicants must hold a current medical license. Acceptable licenses include: LAc, MD, PA/FNP, and RN.
XII. Course Materials & Copyright
Course materials are provided exclusively for personal study. We maintain a strict zero-tolerance policy for plagiarism, which includes any use of course ideas or written content without proper attribution.
XIII. Personal Use Only
Written permission from the course instructor is required before using course materials for any teaching, research, or publication purpose.
XIV. Unauthorized Use Prohibited
Sharing, copying, broadcasting, or reproducing course materials in any form — including publications, media, research, or teaching — without prior written authorization is strictly prohibited. Violations may result in immediate dismissal without tuition refund and may lead to legal action. Access to course lectures and materials is reserved for officially enrolled students who are current on tuition payments.
XV. Payments & Refunds
By enrolling in any course offered by Apricot Grove Educational Services, LLC, you agree to the following payment and refund terms.
XVI. Online Trainings
- First Payment: The first installment (on a payment plan) or payment in full is due at the time of acceptance. A $350 enrollment fee is non-refundable in all cases.
- 60 or more days before the first class: Full tuition, less the enrollment fee, may be refunded.
- 45-59 days before the first class: 75% of tuition, less the enrollment fee, may be refunded.
- 21-44 days before the first class: 50% of tuition, less the enrollment fee, may be refunded.
- Fewer than 21 days before the first class: No refund is given.
If you enroll in a payment plan and withdraw within the refund window, you remain responsible for any outstanding balance, less the applicable refund amount.
XVII. In-Person Trainings
Due to the fixed costs of in-person events, a separate refund schedule applies.
- First Payment: The first installment (on a payment plan) or payment in full is due at registration. A $350 enrollment fee is non-refundable in all cases.
- 45 or more days before the first class: 75% of tuition, less the enrollment fee, may be refunded.
- Fewer than 45 days before the first class: No refund is given.
If WE cancel or postpone a practicum, you can choose:
- Full refund of everything you have paid us, including the deposit, or
- Transfer of the full amount to any future practicum
No fee either way, and no time limit on the transfer.
Tuition for in-person training does not include room, board, or travel costs.
XVIII. Jurisdiction and Class Action Waiver
These terms and conditions will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the state of Oregon, without regard to conflict of laws principles. Any claim arising out of these terms, including tort claims, must be resolved in Multnomah County, Oregon, and the parties consent to the exclusive personal jurisdiction of said courts for such purposes.
To the fullest extent permitted by law, each student agrees that any claim arising out of or relating to these terms or the student’s enrollment or participation must be brought solely in the student’s individual capacity and not as a plaintiff, class member, representative, or participant in any purported class, collective, consolidated, or representative action. The student waives any right to have such a claim resolved on a class, collective, consolidated, or representative basis, and no court may combine or aggregate the claims of more than one student without the written consent of Apricot Grove Educational Services, LLC.
XIX. Miscellaneous
If any term or condition of these terms is found by a court of competent jurisdiction to be illegal, unlawful or otherwise unenforceable, such term or condition shall be reformed as nearly as may be possible to carry forth the intention of the clause and the rest of the terms will remain in effect.
