Dongguk Royal University Offers Exchange Program
President Seuck-Cheun Yoo, PhD, of Dongguk Royal University (DRU), Los Angeles, Calif. met with the President and Board of Directors of Dongguk University, Seoul, Korea, one of the largest medical schools in Korea, to celebrate the inauguration of a student exchange program. The first students from DRU will be traveling to Seoul in mid-June to join second- and third-year residents during their rounds at three Oriental medical hospitals in the Seoul area. The recipients of this outstanding opportunity are Carlos Chapa, Alex Luk and Charles Yu. The students were selected because of their high academic achievements, their involvement in DRU's institutional development and their active participation in the profession and community. Three students will be selected each quarter to participate in this program. Congratulations to these students. We hope your trip is a challenging and rewarding experience. This program is being facilitated by Ronald Sokolsky, MSOM, University Provost.
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Acupuncturists Without Borders Returns to New Orleans
Acupuncturists Without Borders (AWB) has worked together with the Louisiana Medical Board and the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals in the recent passage of an emergency rule that will allow acupuncturists from out of state to return to Louisiana.
Between October 2005 and February 2006, AWB treated over 4,000 people with free community style acupuncture in Louisiana, including evacuees, first responders, relief workers, and others. Hundreds of people have contacted AWB since then, asking when or if they will return, and describing the extremely difficult ongoing conditions, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.
While some government agencies and other organizations are pulling out of Louisiana and the Gulf Coast, AWB is determined to go back and give people the help they need and want. AWB is setting up teams, the first of which will go to Louisiana in mid-June, and intend to send them for up to six months. The situation continues to be severe, with people experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder, along with associated conditions of fatigue, insomnia, anxiety and physical illnesses.
AWB is asking for assistance to support this effort. Funds are also needed to help support a new project to treat soldiers around the country upon their return from Iraq and Afghanistan, which will begin in the near future. It is asking people in the profession to join its Summer Pledge Drive, from June 1 through August 31. AWB's goal is to raise $500 and is currently looking for 100 practitioners to carry out this drive. It will be sending out pledge cards that can be given out to clients/patients explaining the drive and asking them to donate the equivalent of one treatment, or whatever they can afford.
Members of the profession are also donating money as well as their time. Some are donating 5 percent of their monthly net income, while others are pledging the equivalent of one treatment fee per month or donating $1 per client/patient for the duration of the pledge drive, or for longer. For more information, please email Info@AcuWithoutBorders.org or call Sarah Tewhey at (505) 991-0112.
As a bonus, Mayway has just offered to provide gift bags for participating acupuncturists in our pledge drive. "Participants who commit to raising $500 will also receive a tote bag and Mayway products, generously donated by the Mayway Corporation," stated AWB in a press release.
