McCormick Templeton, PhD, DACM, MSOM

Dr. McCormick Templeman is an author and college professor with a background in traditional Chinese medicine. She holds an MSOM from AIMC Berkeley and a DACM from Pacific College of Health and Science. Her books have been published by multiple Penguin Random House imprints, and her short writing has appeared in the Los Angeles Review of Books and CJOM (now JAIM). A graduate of Reed College, she has a PhD in English and literary studies from the University of Denver, and teaches at Sweet Briar College in Sweet Briar, Va.

Previous Articles

TCM and the Eurocentric Gaze (Pt. 2)
December 1, 2024 (Vol. 25, Issue 12)
TCM and the Eurocentric Gaze (Pt. 1)
November 1, 2024 (Vol. 25, Issue 11)
Trending
News / Profession
Classification and Determination of TCM Constitution: China’s New National Standard
Classification and Determination of TCM Constitution

On April 1, 2026, China implemented a landmark national standard: Classification and Determination of TCM Constitution. Although designated as a recommended rather than mandatory standard, it represents a major step in modernizing traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) by converting traditional constitution theory into a clear, measurable and clinically practical framework. By clarifying the relationship between constitution, disease, and pattern differentiation, the standard strengthens professional credibility, supports research, and enhances patient-centered treatment.

Ann Y Wang, CMD (China), LAc
News / Profession
Profession at a Crossroads: What Must Change
Profession at a Crossroads: What Must Change

The field of acupuncture in the U.S. continues to grow in visibility, patient demand and clinical effectiveness. Yet behind the curtain, many acupuncturists are quietly struggling to keep their doors open. While the profession is rooted in centuries of healing tradition, modern economic pressures – particularly those driven by insurance limitations, low reimbursement rates and job-market saturation – are making it increasingly difficult for licensed acupuncturists to thrive.

Shabnam Pourhassani, LAc, QME, DACM
Acupuncture & Acupressure
It’s Time to Stop Prescribing Points
It's Time to Stop Prescribing Points

A student stands over a patient, needle poised. They have a “perfect” prescription: a textbook combination of points harvested from a lecture slide on chronic lower back pain. But as the needle meets the skin, the student hesitates - the symptom of a quiet habit that has taken hold of our profession. We routinely say we “prescribe” points. It sounds efficient. It echoes the authority of biomedical culture and fits neatly into the insurance field. But vocabulary is never neutral; repeated long enough, it dictates behavior.

Bruce W. Park, DACM