Just a few nagging questions before starting TCM school

[Abbacus]

Hi,
I am looking into sending in an application to study Traditional Chinese Medicine and I had a few nagging questions that perhaps practitioners and current students could answer, regarding Traditional Chinese Medicine. If I get accepted, the classes begin in September. I am currently a third year Junior in college, majoring in Biology. I was a pre-dentistry major until I worked in a clinic and didn't fit me, so I've been looking around when I came across the field of acupuncture. Just to be clear, I have 0 real life experience with them, which is why I come to you for help! Any questions you answer would be greatly appreciated. I've been doing a great deal of reading about Yin & Yang and Meridians and it is very fascinating.

I'd really appreciate it if you could take the time to answer 10 questions I had for acupunturists or students.

1. How much Chinese will I be expected to learn? Should I be buying up books on how to speak Chinese?
2. Should I begin to read up on meridians? Herbs? I am intimidated by the sheer amount of material you must memorize, and it is freaking me out! I am already looking into purchasing a model but not sure what size I need to get. How were you able to handle it? How much did you know before you began school?
3. What were some of your favorite ways to rewind during the stressful times at the school of Traditional Chinese Medicine?
4. Was your curriculum in Traditional Chinese Medicine balanced in both Western and Eastern medicine? Or did you feel like was it biased toward one way disproportionately?
5. Did your school clear up any doubt you had about the practice? I am mortified that I will end up disliking acupuncture within the first few years. I've read up on accusations of placebo and yet the sheer number means that it works somehow! This is the biggest concern for me, as obviously I do not want to invest 3 years of my life into a sham art! Did you have any concerns similar to mine when you entered school? How did the school help you deal with this fear?
6. How would you rate your job satisfaction? What is your most favorite part of the job? The least favorite?
7. With 50% of acupunturists quitting after a year, how do you feel about the financial prospect in the next few years? Do you feel the field of acupuncture and Chinese medicine will expand? Shrink?
8. What kind of community service can you perform within the field of acupuncture?
9. How did you decide to become an acupuncturist?
10. Any additional comments or information you'd like to add?

Thanks in advance!

[rlgoodman]

I had a few nagging questions that perhaps practitioners and current students could answer.
1. How much Chinese will I be expected to learn? Should I be buying up books on how to speak Chinese?
2. Should I begin to read up on meridians? Herbs? I am intimidated by the sheer amount of material you must memorize, and it is freaking me out! I am already looking into purchasing a model but not sure what size I need to get. How were you able to handle it? How much did you know before you began school?

I can't answer to everything you asked, but I'll try to answer some. As far as Chinese goes, this depends greatly on the school you are going to. I know of no CM school that currently requires students to speak Chinese. I do, however, encourage you to start learning classical Chinese as early as possible. I'm biased in this regard, but my one regret is that I could not yet read classical Chinese when I started school.

For all of the meridians, herbs, theory, etc, I would just wait. Any school is going to start your studies from zero. You will have to memorize a lot of information, but it is doable. The best thing you could do is ask your school what books you will start with and start there.

[journeytothewest]

Hi,

I will do the next 2 questions =)

3. What were some of your favorite ways to rewind during the stressful times at the school of Traditional Chinese Medicine?
4. Was your curriculum in Traditional Chinese Medicine balanced in both Western and Eastern medicine? Or did you feel like was it biased toward one way disproportionately?

My favourite ways to "rewind" (by this, I assume you mean "unwind") during stressful times at uni usually involved getting some kind of treatment for the way I dealt with my stress. TCM is really good at lowering stress levels. Also, doing Tai Chi and Qi Gong are really good because they make you feel connected to the elements and realise that you are small, and in comparison to the Universe your stressful moment is less than a speck on the radar.

If you do this course you need to care about it, or you won't finish it. The dropout rate at my college was enormous - we started with 65 people in our year level, and when we all graduated six years later there were 18 of us. You need to have an open mind and be skeptical at the same time.

Our curriculum involved a large amount of Chinese Medicine and enough Western science to prepare us for the work we were about to begin. We studied Human Biology, Pathology, Pathophysiology, Surface Anatomy, Botany and plant science, Pharmacology, infection control, etc. Suffice to say it was comprehensive.

TCM as a profession involves ongoing study, and constant learning about new or old ideas not covered in school. It's impossible to cover everything that has ever been written or taught about TCM in a three, four or even six year course because it's over 2000 years old and has had an enormous number of contributing practitioners throughout its development. As practitioners in a modern world we need to know about Western science because if we can transpose the TCM metaphor over it we get a clearer picture of what our patients are going through. Also, many patients have been to Western doctors before they reach us and are on medications which we need to know about before we prescribe them herbs, to prevent herb-drug interactions. As a result the things I have studied and continue to study after i finished my course are not limited to Chinese Medical texts, but incorporate both worlds.

I hope this is helpful.

jttw

[Ernestina]

I'll do the next 3 q's.

5. Did your school clear up any doubt you had about the practice? I am mortified that I will end up disliking acupuncture within the first few years. I've read up on accusations of placebo and yet the sheer number means that it works somehow! This is the biggest concern for me, as obviously I do not want to invest 3 years of my life into a sham art! Did you have any concerns similar to mine when you entered school? How did the school help you deal with this fear?
6. How would you rate your job satisfaction? What is your most favorite part of the job? The least favorite?
7. With 50% of acupunturists quitting after a year, how do you feel about the financial prospect in the next few years? Do you feel the field of acupuncture and Chinese medicine will expand? Shrink?

To be honest, my life was a mixed bag of everything in the last couple of years of uni and it took me at least 2 years to fully focus myself into my practice after graduating. I graduated taking the advice of my practice management teacher: I worked part time in an office to gain some capital before using my acupuncture practice as a main source of income. After that, I just had to get over the fear of hurting people or not being able to cure or diminish any presenting ailments in some people (I was only a novice after all). Also, building a practitioner-client rapport is very important. That takes some time to master as well.

Acupuncture works for many people but not for some. If you want to test it out, go and get some treatments off different practitioners who practice different styles of acupuncture. Try to convince someone who is scared of needles or who is skeptical to get treatment as well and see how it affects them. I get people like that coming to me quite often. And often it is the skeptics who come back repeatedly and who provide word-of-mouth marketing for me!

As for fear, I don't remember how my school helped me through it. I don't think I asked! Nevertheless, it's only up to you to confront your fears and overcome them.

I love what I do. I learn something new everyday. I rent space in a multimodal clinic and I have learned many things from the other practitioners there (osteopaths, naturopaths, kinesiologists, to name a few) as well as from my patients. I believe that I am meant to be involved in energetic healing in my life, and acupuncture and TCM is just the beginning of a long journey. Do you believe that about your own life?

My least favourite part of the job is the paperwork (e.g. for insurance companies).

Being a TCM practitioner is one thing, being a self-employed business owner is another. If you can't handle the business, you may not be able to build a practice. If you can't build a practice, then you won't get any financial returns. Talk to as many people as you can. Believe in what you do and believe that you can do it. DO NOT BE AFRAID! And talk to as many people as you can. Understand the fundamentals of running a business and build upon that as well as building upon your professional skills. It's the same rule as for any profession or trade.

Natural therapies, of which acupuncture and TCM are considered a part, are coming to a fore in our society. There are plenty of financial returns out there for those who know how to use the right business skills to harness them. It's up to you how far you want to take it.

All the best,
Ernestina

[lucy rantzen]

Hi Abbacus,

I'll take the next ones....(I've been waiting & watching for someone else to for a while!)

8. What kind of community service can you perform within the field of acupuncture?
You can do voluntary work for many organisations serving people eg with medical conditions or undergoing rehabilitation or with emotional conditions such as post-traumatic stress - there are numerous organisations who accept acupuncturist volunteers. Your college should be able to give you some contacts.
You can treat people with low income at low cost, maybe as part of a community acupuncture setup.
Check the community acupuncture link on this forum -
viewforum.php?f=26

9. How did you decide to become an acupuncturist?
I was stressed, had some acupuncture, realised I wasn't happy in my dream career path (publishing), followed my acupuncturist's suggestion to visit her college's open day because I was desperate & had no idea what else I could study, felt a really strong connection with the philosophy of oriental medicine when it was explained there & just felt I had to study it. So I did.

10. Any additional comments or information you'd like to add?
I would add that I found studying acupuncture was very hard in that it required forgetting my previous academic methods of getting on top of a subject and instead, just throwing myself into the experience & practice. I know I wasn't the only person whose personal life went through huge upheavals during the course too...for the good, I should add! Studying acupuncture can teach you alot about yourself as well as about the discipline itself. And practising acupuncture is hugely enjoyable once you get over the fear.
Enjoy your studies!

Lucy

[dragonmonk]

in response:

1) no
2) read Ted Kaptchuk's 'The Web That Has No Weaver'. This will give you a good grounding. You need only read the first half if you like. It will explain basic concepts (which after reading will not seem so basic but will come to you in time). I knew very little before starting other than tid bits I had picked up from reading about tai chi.
3) doing tai chi, eating chocolate, reading fantasy novels
4) reasonably balanced at the university of technology, sydney. Gives you a good place to start your own journey. Arms you with the information you need to find more information for yourself.
5) Having a healthy skepticism is good. Won't take you long to see something cool and realise that there might be something to this needle jabbing business. Keep your healthy skepticism throughout the course and always investigate claims, don't take them at face value. Herbs have loads of evidence to support their use so little concern there.
6) Currently working in the health field but not chinese medicine as such (i have more left to study).
7) As to money....if you want to be rich, then this is not the way to go. Go be a dentist instead . There seems to be a trend towards expansion at the moment.
Community service possibilities are really dependant upon yourself. Organisation such as Acupuncture sans frontiers exist.
9) An interest in tai chi led me to chinese medicine.
10) If you have not had acupuncture prior to the course, try it out with a good local practitioner. See if you like it.

Hope that helps