The Acupuncture Poll's question for August 2003 was:
"How long did it take you to pay off your student loans?"
Results are as follows:
These results are based upon 117 responses. As this is a voluntary, non-scientific survey, caution should be used in generalizing the results. Here is a sample of the comments made by those who took the survey and how they voted:
More than seven years: I was paying off my loan rather comfortably until the clinic I worked for had their Blue Cross/Blue Shield providership terminated because of unscrupulous billing practices. This was all done without my knowledge, but I was also held responsible. I lost my practice and have been struggling to get a cash practice going, which has been challenging. My advice is to never let anyone else do your billing for you. I learned the hard way. Now I can barely pay my monthly payment.
Also, I know new graduates who are getting out of school with $80,000 in debt. I certainly wouldn't want to be in their shoes.
Less than two years: At the time, I was so concerned about having to pay back student loans while starting a new practice that I continued working a 40+-hour high-stress job for the three years that I was in school. Hopefully, the stress I had during school counteracted the stress I didn't have paying back the loans after school.
More than seven years: I am still paying, and paying, and paying.
Pelvic pain has a prevalence of >25% in women and >15% in men, and up to 50% of cases are undiagnosed, demonstrating that there is a definite need for pelvic care awareness among health care practitioners. As holistic practitioners, acupuncturists offer a safe space for clients and are often the practitioners clients seek out when nothing else has worked. Thus, acupuncturists are presented with an opportunity to serve an underserved population.
Though the creation of a financially sustainable, health-promoting model feels far away today, we are casting a vision for a full return on health, believing that this compels us to keep one foot firmly rooted in caring for the sick and the other foot firmly founded in maintaining health. Shifting from a fee-for-service model to value-based care using a phased approach is paramount.
Traditional Chinese medicine and the Vedic traditions both offer rich frameworks for understanding human health, emphasizing the balance of physical, mental, and spiritual aspects. The concept of "souls" or spiritual components in TCM, namely Hun, Po, Shen, Yi, and Zhi, bears significant similarities to the yogic concept of koshas. Their similarities and differences provide insights into how these systems contribute to holistic health practices.
