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Acupuncture Today – October, 2001, Vol. 02, Issue 10

News in Brief

By Editorial Staff

CIMU, Shanghai University Launch Cooperative PhD Program

China International Medical University in Los Angeles, California (CIMU) and Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine have announced the formation of a cooperative PhD program.

Under the agreement, graduates from China International will be eligible to enroll in the PhD program offered at Shanghai, with doctoral candidates conducting clinical research at both universities.

PhD candidates will concentrate on one area of study, such as internal medicine, obstetrics/gynecology, traumatology or dermatology. A variety of formats will be made available to help candidates complete their studies, including self-study assignments, online seminars and classroom presentations. Clinical courses will be completed in satellite clinics in the U.S., while clinical rotations will be conducted in China on a flexible schedule.

Upon completion of the three-year program, both China International and Shanghai will hold a PhD granting ceremony. For more information, contact CIMU at (310) 289-8394.


Society for Acupuncture Research Symposium Update

The Society for Acupuncture Research will hold its Eighth Annual Symposium at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota October 19 and 20. The two-day meeting is co-sponsored by the Minnesota Center for Addiction and Alternative Medicine Research and will feature both poster and oral presentations on current acupuncture research.

Highlights of the SAR 2001 Symposium will include: reports on the recent San Francisco CAM Research Conference; demonstrations of acupuncture methodology studies; clinical research reports on qigong, acupuncture, herbs and moxibustion; and a keynote address by Pat Culliton and Richard Hammerschlag entitled "Future Directions in AOM Research."

For more information, visit the Society's website at www.acupunctureresearch.org.


TCM World Announces Winners in "Best of the West" Contest

In July, Traditional Chinese Medicine World published the results of its "Best in the West 2000" survey designed to recognize institutions in the U.S. that best preserve and protect the essence, philosophy and culture of traditional Chinese medicine. A total of 10 schools from across the country were honored in the areas of faculty, clinical training and curriculum, with schools in California, Oregon and Texas receiving top honors in all three categories.

To identify which schools deserved such recognition, TCM World sent its survey to Oriental medicine and TCM colleges throughout the U.S., seeking answers to the following questions:

  • Who is preserving this ancient knowledge and teaching it in the West?
  • What are their qualifications?
  • What approach to TCM knowledge is being utilized?
  • What kind of hands-on clinical training is offered?
  • How extensively is the curriculum rooted in TCM philosophy, theories and techniques?
  • How deeply does it integrate TCM philosophy and theories with clinical practice?

Selections were based on survey responses, along with materials submitted to TCM World by the schools and personal interviews with faculty and staff. Faculty winners were selected for college educators who possessed a deep knowledge of TCM, advanced degrees, and teaching experience; curriculum winners were chosen for excellence in course design; and clinical training winners were picked for having knowledgeable clinic directors and the ability to offer superlative learning opportunities in supervised clinical settings.

The winners of the "Best of the West" survey are:

Overall (Faculty, Curriculum and Clinical Training)

  • American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, San Francisco, CA
  • Oregon College of Oriental Medicine, Portland, OR
  • Texas College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Austin, TX

Best Faculty

  • American Academy of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, Minneapolis, MN
  • International Institute of Chinese Medicine, Santa Fe, NM
  • National College of Oriental Medicine, Orlando, FL

Best Curriculum

  • Atlantic Institute of Oriental Medicine, Fort Lauderdale, FL
  • International Institute of Chinese Medicine, Santa Fe, NM
  • Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, San Diego, CA and New York, NY campuses

Best Clinical Training

  • Academy of Oriental Medicine, Austin, TX
  • Atlantic Institute of Oriental Medicine, Fort Lauderdale, FL
  • Dallas Institute of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine, Dallas, TX
  • Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, San Diego, CA

"The goal of TCM treatment is to address the root cause of an illness or disease and prevent its recurrence," remarked Nan Lu, OMD, TCM World's publisher. "The schools we've selected as 'Best of the West 2000' are those that we believe are steeped in and committed to educating students in authentic classical Chinese medicine."


Meet RainStar's New Dean

Lloyd Wright, LAc, DNBAO, QME has been named the new dean of RainStar University's College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. Prior to being named dean, Dr. Wright operated a private practice in Palo Alto, California and served on that state's acupuncture board, helping review acupuncture schools for state approval and assisting in the writing of the examination for acupuncture qualified medical evaluators.

Dr. Wright is a graduate of the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in San Francisco, having completed his education as an acupuncturist and herbalist in January 1985. He also earned a diplomate from the National Board of Acupuncture Orthopedics and serves as the current vice president of the California State Oriental Medicine Association. As a practitioner, he specializes in treating allergies; digestive disorders; pain; soft tissue injuries; and the evaluation of injured workers.


Acupuncture Today editorial staff members research, investigate and write articles for the publication on an ongoing basis. To contact the Editorial Department or submit an article of your own for consideration, email mailto: .


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