Giovanni Maciocia Joins PCOM Faculty
Pacific College of Oriental Medicine (PCOM) has announced that Giovanni Maciocia will be joining the faculty of the college's San Diego campus. He will serve as a faculty member of the doctoral program and guest lecturer in the master's program, and will participate in events at the San Diego campus (including the Pacific Symposium) and at the Chicago and New York campuses.
Regarded by many as the "father of Chinese medicine" in Europe, Maciocia is the author of several well-known texts, including Tongue Diagnosis in Chinese Medicine, The Foundations of Chinese Medicine, The Practice of Chinese Medicine and Obstetrics and Gynecology in Chinese Medicine. He also is credited with developing the first line of Chinese herbal formulas specifically to treat gynecological complaints.
Maciocia has been teaching acupuncture and Chinese medicine since 1974, after graduating from the International College of Oriental Medicine (England) with a degree in acupuncture. He graduated from the National Institute of Medical Herbalists in 1977, and was appointed as a visiting professor at Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the top AOM program in China, in 1996.
AATAOM Announces 2006 Teacher of the Year
Dr. Jake Paul Fratkin has been honored as the American Association for Teachers of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (AATAOM) 2006 Teacher of the Year. Dr. Fratkin was acknowledged for his commitment to the teaching profession and for his passion for using knowledge to help produce high-quality practitioners of acupuncture and Oriental medicine.
Dr. Fratkin, a regular columnist for Acupuncture Today, has practiced Oriental medicine since 1978. He is the author of several books, including Chinese Herbal Patent Medicines: The Clinical Desk Reference, and is the editor/organizer of Wu and Fischer's Practical Therapeutics of Traditional Chinese Medicine. According to the AATAOM, Dr. Fratkin was selected as Teacher of the Year based on his clear and effective teaching manner, his ability to organize and deliver information while encouraging questions and discussion, and his selection of practical and clinically-applicable subject matter. In addition, he was recognized for taking the time to ensure that students understand the material presented and for instilling in his students an awareness of what the patient is experiencing as he teaches each skill.
"The AATAOM recognizes Dr. Fratkin's dedication to the profession of teaching and his passion for sharing knowledge to improve the quality of practitioners of acupuncture and Oriental medicine," the organization stated in a press release. In selecting the annual recipient of this award, the AATAOM evaluates organization, presentation and communication skills; use of teaching aids; ability to interact with the audience; and pertinence and applicability of content.
Northwestern Students Form Chapter of New National Student Organization
Students at Northwestern Health Sciences University's Minnesota College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine have formed a Northwestern Chapter of the AAOM (now the AAAOM) Student Organization College Chapter (SOCC). Three Northwestern students have been elected as national leaders in the organization.
The SOCC was created for acupuncture and Oriental medicine students in the U.S. According to Amanda Troelsen, a student in her eighth trimester of study at the college, the development of the organization began at the AAOM conference in October 2006, where students wrote bylaws and selected acupuncture and Oriental medicine student representatives from each school. Students elected national leaders and regional directors and formed two distinct task forces ≵ one for membership and public relations and one for, among other things, legislation and herbal access.
Three representatives from Northwestern attended the conference. Jolene Habeck, an acupuncture and Oriental medicine student in her second trimester, was elected as central time zone regional director of the legislation task force. "I think students having a voice this early in their careers can only make the profession stronger," she said. Amanda Troelson and Patrick Denny, a fourth-trimester Northwestern student, will serve on the membership and public relations task force.
Bringing Acupuncture to the Harbor Lights Center
In other Minnesota College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (MCAOM) news, the college has announced that in May 2007, it will launch a pilot internship project at the Salvation Army's Harbor Lights Center in Minneapolis. The center provides shelter to the homeless and runs a chemical dependency program.
The center is one of several clinical internship sites designated by MCAOM. Students will offer acupuncture treatments of a particular type to individuals using the shelter, according to Sher Demeter, LAc, MAc, associate dean of clinical education. "Our treatments at Harbor Lights will focus primarily on auricular (ear) acupuncture. This approach has been successfully used in addiction programs and in public health programs where a communal setting for treatment is often beneficial, allowing for larger patient volume."
The long-term goal of the project is to continue and expand acupuncture services at the center. Northwestern is also considering offering chiropractic care, according to Charles Sawyer, DC, senior vice president and provost at Northwestern. The Salvation Army has initiated a capital campaign to raise money for a building expansion, and hopes to partner with Northwestern to provide clinical services at the new facility.
"We are looking for more opportunities like this," said Dr. Sawyer. "It gives our students a chance to treat patients with health issues they would not normally see in their internships. It also provides them with exposure to a wider range of ethic and social groups, helping to broaden their world views and enrich their experience as they prepare for graduation."
Correction
In the March issue of AT, we reported on the merger of the Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Alliance (AOM) and the American Association of Oriental Medicine (AAOM). After 14 years, the two major U.S. acupuncture membership organizations are again operating as a single entity, called the American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (AAAOM).
In that article, we noted that while the new organization's first public event would be the "Rebuilding the Future" Conference, scheduled for May 9-13 in New Orleans, the location and dates of the first annual AAAOM International Conference and Exposition had not yet been announced.
After going to press, we were contacted by AAAOM Executive Director Rebekah Christensen, who informed us that the International Conference and Exposition would in fact take place Oct. 18-22, 2007, at the Portland Hilton in Portland, Ore. We apologize for this oversight and any confusion it may have caused our readership, AAAOM members or anyone planning on attending this historic event.
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The Oregon College of Oriental Medicine (OCOM) has announced it is closing after 41 years. Pending accreditor approval, OCOM will cease offering classes after September (fourth-year OCOM students graduate Aug. 26). All current / incoming OCOM students have the option of continuing their education at the National University of Natural Medicine or Five Branches University, or transferring to another school altogether.
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