Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about Herbal Rhymes study materials and board prep.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Herbal Rhymes for?
Herbal Rhymes is designed primarily for TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) students preparing for board licensing exams, including the NCCAOM and CALE. Whether you're in your first year of herbology or deep in board prep, the mnemonic system helps you encode and recall herb properties more effectively than traditional rote memorization.
Practicing acupuncturists also use the materials as a clinical reference and continuing education refresher.
What board exams does this material cover?
The content covers herbs tested on both the NCCAOM (National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine) and CALE (California Acupuncture Licensing Examination) board exams. The 217 herbs included represent the standard herbology curriculum at accredited TCM programs across North America.
Are the herbs verified against Bensky's Materia Medica?
Yes. All 217 herbs — including temperatures, tastes, channel entries, actions, and indications — are verified against Bensky's Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, 3rd Edition, the standard reference text used by most accredited TCM programs in the United States and Canada.
Are the digital products or physical products?
The Flashcard Deck, Category Cheat Sheets, and Complete Study Bundle are all digital downloads in PDF format. You'll receive instant access after purchase and can print them at home or use them on any device.
The Herbal Rhymes book is available as a physical print book on Amazon. It contains the full study guide with poems, Board Pearls, comparison tables, and practice questions in a traditional book format.
What's the difference between the book and the digital products?
The book is a comprehensive, linear study guide — 217 herbs organized by category with full mnemonic poems, Board Pearls, comparison tables, and practice questions. It's designed to be read cover-to-cover or by category.
The digital flashcards are designed for active recall study — each herb on its own card for quick-fire review. The cheat sheets are one-page category summaries for at-a-glance review. They complement the book as separate study modalities.
The Complete Study Bundle includes the flashcards, cheat sheets, and 150+ practice questions — everything except the physical book itself.
How should I use these with my Bensky textbook?
Herbal Rhymes is designed as a study companion to Bensky, not a replacement. Here's the recommended workflow:
1. Learn — Read the herb entry in Bensky for full detail.
2. Encode — Read the Herbal Rhymes poem and memory trick to create a mnemonic anchor.
3. Review — Use the flashcards for spaced repetition active recall.
4. Test — Run through the practice questions to identify gaps.
The cheat sheets serve as a quick-reference bridge between the detailed Bensky entries and the flashcard format.
Do you cover acupuncture points too?
Yes! Our acupuncture study materials cover all 361+ points across 14 channels, plus the 8 extraordinary vessels. Includes flashcards, point category reference sheets, channel summaries, and 150+ practice questions. Everything cross-referenced against Deadman's Manual of Acupuncture.
What is the refund policy?
Because these are digital products with instant delivery, all sales are final. However, if you're unsatisfied for any reason, please email info@herbalrhymes.com and we'll work with you to find a solution.
We recommend trying the free sample flashcards before purchasing so you can experience the mnemonic method firsthand.
Still have questions?
Contact Us