AAAOM Student Panel Features Sixteen AOM Schools

Reported by Sydney Dugan and Elisa Behnk

(Students share about the diversity of AOM and educational approaches.)

At the 2009 AAAOM Conference and Expo in Sacramento, CA, the AAAOM-SO Student Caucus featured its first ever Student Panel. Sixteen students were selected to introduce their school and speak candidly about the benefits and challenges they face. Their comments are summarized briefly below, in the order they presented.

As questions and comments arise, we will post them as discussion threads on the AAAOM-SO forum.

American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, San Francisco, CA
Student Panel Representative: Beth Jones
Introduction:

• TCM, zang fu school, “the oldest school and the first to offer a master’s degree”
• Community Acupuncture Program (CAP) sites—including California Pacific Medical Center—treat 17,000 patients a year
• Known for the quality of its herbal program

Benefits:

• A great base of education with well-rounded faculty, including many Asian practitioners and supervisors; plus, a wide range of practitioners are invited to speak.
• Good externships
• Very active, vocal student body

Challenges:

• Expensive place to live
• With two campuses and many hills, it would be nice if BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) came right to the school

National University of Health Science, Lombard, IL
Student Panel Representative: Ryan Secor
Introduction:

• Might be the newest school of acupuncture
• The school offers two doctoral degree programs and two master’s degree programs, all in complementary and alternative medicine: chiropractic, massage, naturopathic, acupuncture.

Benefits:

• Gross anatomy lab includes dissection
• Acupuncture students get to mix with the chiropractic students, “a great opportunity to intermix the medicine.”

Challenges:

• Growing pains of being a new school
• Huge campus

Samra University of Oriental Medicine, Los Angeles, CA
Student Panel Representative: Nicolas Barlow
Introduction:

• 300 students
• Great diversity: Korean, Chinese and English sections all come together for events

Benefits:

• Integrated with Western medicine by way of a new spinal center with MRI technology

Challenges:

• LA has many universities—would like to find a way to unite them
• Connecting politically: Would like the profession to set up a mobile action network so that, as legislation is going through, the network could automatically send information to the legislators

Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine College, Berkeley, CA
Student Panel Representative: Sara Szmodis
Introduction:

• TCM school rooted in Japanese style
• 180 students and growing
• Newest AAAOM student chapter

Benefits:

• Flexible schedule—“Love that we can start three times during the week and can go at night.”
• School works hard to reach into the community
• New internship with Kaiser Permanente
• Pre-natal center

Challenges:

• Our building is unassuming (but welcoming!)

Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, San Diego, CA
Student Panel Representative: Christine Grisham
Introduction:

• Presents the annual PCOM Symposium in San Diego—“We have such good speakers, and it's not that expensive for a student.”

Benefits:

• “Wonderful externships—we work with Children's Hospital, and have several low income clinics.”

Challenges:

• On-site clinic sees about 1000 patients per month, but it does have a retention problem.
• Student organization has been around for six months, but it's hard to get students to see the relevance of AAAOM

Minnesota College Of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine, Bloomington, MN
Student Panel Representative: Robert Lowe
Introduction:

• Part of Northwestern Health Sciences University
• Eight off-campus clinics include: Pillsbury House, a joint venture with integrative health and massage therapy, which includes psychiatric care; the Courage Center for spinal cord injuries; and the Minneapolis Salvation Army Harbor Light Center

Benefits:

• “In China there is a 50:1 ratio of herbalists to acupuncturists; we are fortunate to have wonderful acupuncturists.”

Challenges:

• “Our Western science classes are “dumbed down” and I wish it was at the same level (as Western medicine) to help bridge the gap with Western medical practitioners.”

Tai Sophia Institute, Laurel, MD
Student Panel Representative: Casey Potocki
Introduction:

• “Our Golden Rule is ‘Your body is wise and your symptoms are your teachers.’ We strive to unlock that knowledge to enable patients to take care of themselves.”
• Tai Sophia president, Bob Duggan, talked with the U.S. Senate about how to improve healthcare (available on YouTube and Maryland State Legislature website).
• Strong AAAOM student organization chapter

Benefits:

• We are focused on community service: Community Health Initiative (CHI) sites treat people with addictions; wellness center at a local community college incorporates preventative care.

Southern California University of Health Sciences, Whittier, CA
Student Panel Representative: Catherine Luib
Introduction:

• Good, strong chapter with over 50 members
• Many students study both chiropractics and acupuncture

Benefits:

• School encourages students to participate in AAAOM and pays for student membership (similarly, the chiropractic students, are automatic members of their association)
• Healing Hands for Humanity club sponsors a Bolivia trip that brings together students and faculty for trips
• “Our new president, Dr. Kraft, has a background in entrepreneurship and his mission is for us to be as well versed in business as medicine.”

Challenges:

• Student apathy about being proactive in AAAOM.

Academy of Oriental Medicine at Austin, TX
Student Panel Representative: Jane Ritti
Introduction:

• Oriental program, herbs and acupuncture, has 210 students
• Newly formed local chapter of AAAOM-SO

Benefits:

• Strong partnerships with the local hospital
• Participate in the Kerrville Folk Festival (18-day music fest) to provide services to volunteers and first aid for attendees
• Participating with Whole Foods to be part of their occupational therapy and workers compensation plans

Challenges:

• Upgrading facilities—construction noise—but looking forward to new ventilation system to enable moxa treatment

Dongguk Royal University, Los Angeles, CA
Student Panel Representative: Karen Bostock
Introduction:

• Comprised of three programs based on language (English, Chinese, Korean)
• In conversation about offering a doctoral program

Benefits:

• “Diversity is one of the best things about the school”
• Exchange program with Korea and China for faculty and students

Challenges:

• “With the three language programs there is a challenge of cultural misunderstandings.”

Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, New York, NY
Student Panel Representative: Anna Araya
Introduction:

• 500 students (when we entered)

Benefits:

• “In a great city”
• Lots of options to study different traditions (Five-element, TCM, etc.)
• Lots of externships (focusing on cancer, HIV, veterans, etc.) and outreach programs
• “Wonderful bio-medicine, straight from the medical school curriculum”

Institute of Taoist Education and Acupuncture, Louisville, CO
Student Panel Representative: Annu Suter
Introduction:

• Classical Five Element school
• 50 students

Benefits:

• School is set up so you don't need to live there
• Strengths are the size and purity of program, as well as the quality of teachers

Challenges:

• “Students do the administration for the clinic, which is difficult when the class sizes are small.”

Jung Tao School of Classical Chinese Medicine, Sugar Grove, NC
Student Panel Representative: Catherine Scoblionko
Introduction:

• Total student body numbers 60
• Studies are of classical theories rather than TCM

Benefits:

• All clinics serve the poor in the Appalachian Mountain region

Challenges:

• “Still small and traditionally have been isolated (but that's changing!)”

Five Branches University, San Jose, CA
Student Panel Representative: Dejota Apostól
Introduction:

• At five years old, the San Jose branch is the newest one of the school, which started 25 years ago in Santa Cruz
• The school has both master’s and doctoral degree programs in English and Chinese; a new Korean language program just started

Benefits:

• Part of student fees pays for AAAOM membership

Challenges:

• “We’re unable to use moxa because we are in a corporate building.”

Five Branches University, Santa Cruz, CA
Student Panel Representative: Celeste Wray
Introduction:

• School offers a variety of disciplines (5 Element acupuncture, Medical Qi Gong, etc.)

Benefits:

• “Each school has something very unique to offer and it’s a non-homogenized education.”
• The community is very involved in the clinic.

Emperors College, Professional Graduate School of Traditional Oriental Medicine, Santa Monica, CA
Student Panel Representative: Alma Myers
Introduction:

• Ranked second for passing boards in California

Benefits:

• Tremendous diversity
• Great faculty and advisors
• Partnerships with UCLA Arthur Ashe Student Health and Wellness Center, LA Free Clinic, Venice Family Clinic

Challenges:

• “Student attendance is down to 230 from 346 students since I began the program.”