AAOM President’s Report
The American Association of Oriental Medicine (AAOM) was formed in 1981 to be the unifying force for American acupuncturists who are dedicated to high educational standards and the well-regulated ethical practice of acupuncture and Oriental medicine. The AAOM’s mission is to promote excellence and integrity in the professional practice of acupuncture and Oriental medicine. Overall, […]
Report on the 2006 Southwest Symposium
The 2006 Southwest Symposium was held March 24-26 at The Crossings, a learning center and wellness spa spa tucked into the lush hill country of Austin, Texas. The peaceful and contemplative retreat center provided deep nourishment and relaxation for speakers, attendees and exhibitors alike. Many of the symposium’s attendees reported that it was the best […]
Summary of the AAOM Presidents Roundtable
The Process The AAOM conducted the President’s Roundtable using a unique electronic voting process at the 2004 annual meeting. The free session was offered with NCCAOM CEUs to encourage conference participants to come and contribute ideas and feedback to AAOM’s strategic planning process. AAOM leadership elected to pursue this format as a creative way to […]
AOM Day: Organizations Look to the Past and Forge Toward the Future
Last month, the AOM community came together to commemorate AOM Day for its fifth year. Since its inception in 2002, AOM Day has given the profession a way to promote, support and celebrate a tradition that has been around for more than a thousand years. Groups have used this day as a way to network […]
An Interview With Zhongyuan Zhang, CCP Secretary of Chengdu University
The Academy of Oriental Medicine at Austin (AOMA) and Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) have developed a strong relationship that began back in 1994, with the sharing of highly qualified and experienced faculty. Chengdu University of TCM provides externship opportunities for AOMA’s students in university-affiliated hospitals and clinics in China. Every year, the […]
Is Asian More Pejorative Than Oriental?
There currently is much debate within the medical field about the proper naming of medical practices that have their roots in China. It has gone to such extremes that the California legislators officially changed the word Oriental to Asian. However, in an effort to be politically correct, they may have missed the mark. Asian The […]
Specialties: A Not-So-Quiet Storm
Specialty board development is an area that I have actively supported. Yet, specialization is not an area that interests me; I don’t specialize, at least not now. Curiously, I see the value in generalism as well as specialism. Further, I see them as yin and yang components, mutually defining each other, transforming, opposing, generating and […]
Deep Change: Leadership and Education in Chinese Medicine
“Why not go out on a limb? That’s where all the fruit is.” – Will Rogers I am writing this piece because I believe leadership is not only a key to becoming an effective teacher and practitioner; it also is a key to success in the field of acupuncture and Oriental medicine (AOM). It may […]
Shen Harmony: The Normal Mental Condition in Chinese Medicine, Part 1
Psychiatric and psychological conditions are a common experience in the daily clinical process. In this paper, we will discuss the normal shen as a method of understanding conditions such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorders and addictions. We have been interested in the importance of shen harmony for some time and consider shen to be the […]
Shen Harmony: The Normal Mental Condition in Chinese Medicine, Part 2
Shen Flexibility The flexibility property of shen relates to the ability to respond effectively to differing and complex scenarios. Conscious awareness while sustaining this flexible state of shen is a key property. This relates to an agile ability to switch concentration or to follow a complex process in its evolution. It involves the ability to […]