I recently had news of the existence of two new courses in acupuncture in Portugal. Like many of my readers come from acupuncture courses that I criticize I know they will not enjoy this article. But the truth is that after having seen these last two courses I get the feeling that the Portuguese people are the smartest on the planet and do not really need courses.
Indeed we like more the illusion of diplomas than the reality of knowledge. And we like this illusion so much that we simply do not accept any kind of criticism. Having a degree does not necessarily mean that acupuncture the practitioner knows acupuncture. Read the rest of this entry »
I have no doubt that many professional accredited by the weekend school´s will become excellent in this art. I have friends who took the course in APA-DA and are performing successfully. I have treated patients who had previously been treated by acupuncturists licensed by the APA-DA and had nothing bad to say. On the contrary. Why, then, these articles? The need to be able to freely discuss this problem that affects TCM in Portugal and most of all, the need to offer prospective students of TCM a basis on which to be guided in their selection process.
If mentioned more times APA-DA is because their students are more proactive and so are those who give more details on the type of course they are taking or have taken. As I mentioned initially, I am against all weekends courses. They are academically poor and professionally discrediting. When I speak of professionals who eventually acquire a good knowledge I commend these professionals for their dedication to the profession and not the course where they learned.
Among the various attacks on the 3 parameters I used to advise prospective students are: (1) its subjectivity and (2) the presentation of other factors that are more beneficial to their school as the quality of teaching methods, ability and level training of teachers, career opportunities or relationship with other foreign institutions.
In fact the parameters that I counsel, in the present circumstances, are the most objective. All schools have good and bad teachers. A good teacher to a student may be bad for another. However it is difficult to assess the credibility of all teachers in the current conditions. And when we talk about the number of hours, we talk about the theoretical or practical terms to teach the necessary curriculum. A good teacher without the necessary conditions hardly will make a good job.
When I criticize the clinical practice that is rare or totally absent in many courses on the weekends I am also attacked. There are people who take courses on weekends, and will receive the qualification for the job market without having seen a single patient throughout the course. Many have to learn the techniques of acupuncture or other training for them self´s separately. This should be inadmissible. In reality it is not openly admitted the existence of such problems. I am often accused of not knowing what I am talking about[i][i]:
“Nuno excuse to put things like that but you just say things without link, unjustified and without understanding.[ii]“
In fact I do not need to know what I am talking about. Just let the students and professionals from schools speak:
“Who attended the 1st classes by Prof. P. Choi and even after they talk with the responsible persons of the course, realizes that the programming base of the course as well as the level of demand seem to be quite good, but that the time has come not from far, for everything that they want to teach. Hence, the huge reduction of class-based practices and how fast will possibly be given as much of the material. But if all realize that, like themselves responsible admit to be true, then why it continues to hold the classes concentrated only in a weekend per month and does not increase to at least one more? (ideally to think that could be all weekends, but I believe it would be more difficult to please all the people). I believe that if all were aligned in this direction, this course would certainly be much improved, with the obvious advantages inherent there.[iii]”
“Hello, I am a student of the 2nd year of APA-DA and I love the course. It is true that the frequency of classes should be larger and with more practical component,[iv]”
I tend to be very attacked by students of APA-DA who do not agree with my ideas. Some try a more constructive dialogue, at least initially, thinking that can support their arguments. Others not so:
“They don´t need for any individual to make the devil’s advocate in response to criticism of their institution, entitling himself as teacher, giving the appearance that it is only teacher by giving the face and do the” dirty work “of the responsible persons of the same institution, in its defense. The so called…[i]“
A third type of people would prefer to systematically try to manipulate what is written and discussed. For example, when discussing with a student of APA-DA on the importance of the number of hours of theoretical and practical lessons, I received the following reply:
Faced with these facts how can a student make a conscious choice of a course that can ensure him a minimally adequate education. Not being a regulated profession, there isn´t governmental aproved courses (accredited by the Portuguese government) and is subject to all kinds of advertising, without the existence of departments or institutions that can make an secondary assessment (govermentl aproval a means that it is capable in training with dignity future professionals), How can a future professional look at the different schools and choose?
In my opinion there are 3 criteria that any suitor to one of these courses can use. As we will see some people opposed these criteria consider them subjective. Others consider them an attack on their school as their courses end up not being the most recommended. I do not believe that these criteria are 100% safe and reliable, but I have no doubt they are the best on the current situation in which the teaching of Acupuncture find himself. I have set these parameters in order to employ them in this context and not in a future context where Acupuncture can meet with regulated courses.
Many may look at this text as an attack on their schools. On several occasions, may well be so. However, I intend to show to different readers the different schools and problems that arise in some of them. Before writing this text I struggle with a morality question between not write to affect other schools or write it and give my opinion (more substantiated than many people would like to admit) about the different courses. Above all there is a need to discuss openly all the facts present. I do not intend with my article show the objective reality to 100%. I think no one could do. However I intend to present my point of view. I can guarantee one thing: my words will always be substantiated.
This is a subject that generates plenty of controversy. Many high school students go to forums seeking information about the different courses and advice about the different schools. My position on this matter are not very popular. Especially because the constant criticism of the courses weekend that I do. Despite these discussions eventually to focus mainly APA-DA, in fact, they are addressed to all weekend courses. APA-DA ends up being the most referenced school because it has more students, it´s known to the general public and have more students participating in various forums.
You have the Tri-State College of Acupuncture that is proud of being one of the oldest acupuncture schools in the USA and is celebrating their 30th year. According to their site, this acupuncture school “Located in New York City, … offer in-depth professional Master’s degree programs, featuring hands-on training in three styles of acupuncture and a unique emphasis on palpation-based acupuncture approaches.”
This acupuncture school has a 3-year Master of Science degree in acupuncture preparing acupuncture students to became independent acupuncturists. Read the rest of this entry »
You can find 3 acupuncture schools in Hawaii. Two of them are located in Honolulu and the other in Kamuela.
1 – The institute of Clinical Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine
2 – World Medicine Institute, College of Acupuncture and Herbal medicine
3 – Traditional Chinese Medical College of Hawaii
The institute of Clinical Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine
The institute of Clinical Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine was created in 1996 and received national accreditation in November of 2002. The national accreditation has been reaffirmed in 2007. Read the rest of this entry »
I have no doubt that many professional accredited by the weekend school´s will become excellent in this art. I have friends who took the course in APA-DA and are performing successfully. I have treated patients who had previously been treated by acupuncturists licensed by the APA-DA and had nothing bad to say. On the contrary. Why, then, these articles? The need to be able to freely discuss this problem that affects TCM in Portugal and most of all, the need to offer prospective students of TCM a basis on which to be guided in their selection process.
Among the various attacks on the 3 parameters I used to advise prospective students are: (1) its subjectivity and (2) the presentation of other factors that are more beneficial to their school as the quality of teaching methods, ability and level training of teachers, career opportunities or relationship with other foreign institutions.
When I criticize the clinical practice that is rare or totally absent in many courses on the weekends I am also attacked. There are people who take courses on weekends, and will receive the qualification for the job market without having seen a single patient throughout the course. Many have to learn the techniques of acupuncture or other training for them self´s separately. This should be inadmissible. In reality it is not openly admitted the existence of such problems. I am often accused of not knowing what I am talking about
I tend to be very attacked by students of APA-DA who do not agree with my ideas. Some try a more constructive dialogue, at least initially, thinking that can support their arguments. Others not so:
Faced with these facts how can a student make a conscious choice of a course that can ensure him a minimally adequate education. Not being a regulated profession, there isn´t governmental aproved courses (accredited by the Portuguese government) and is subject to all kinds of advertising, without the existence of departments or institutions that can make an secondary assessment (govermentl aproval a means that it is capable in training with dignity future professionals), How can a future professional look at the different schools and choose?
Many may look at this text as an attack on their schools. On several occasions, may well be so. However, I intend to show to different readers the different schools and problems that arise in some of them. Before writing this text I struggle with a morality question between not write to affect other schools or write it and give my opinion (more substantiated than many people would like to admit) about the different courses. Above all there is a need to discuss openly all the facts present. I do not intend with my article show the objective reality to 100%. I think no one could do. However I intend to present my point of view. I can guarantee one thing: my words will always be substantiated.
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