Clinical Practice
The core of the AIMC Berkeley educational program is clinical practice. Students serve the public through the AIMC Berkeley Community Clinic and a variety of external clinic sites in their progression to increased responsibility from observing licensed acupuncturists to caring for patients under supervision.
Courses within the Clinical Practice Program series are taken in sequential order: Observation I – IV, Internship Level I – III, and Internship Level II – III, the latter of which includes courses in Advanced Case Studies, Herbal Dispensary, and Community Outreach Clinic.
As part of clinical practice, student interns develop and demonstrate competence in the following activities; professionalism and patient rapport, patient charting, patient interviewing, time management, nutritional counseling, physical exam technique, tongue diagnosis, pulse taking, body palpation, ortho/neuro exam, electro-acupuncture, needling: auricular, chest/abdomen, back points, scalp, face, cupping, gua sha, rice grain or cone moxa, ear seeds/tacks, safety protocols/regulations
Clinical Practice
Clinic Observation I – IV
Observation I: Theater
CP 011 ∙ 0.75 clinic units – 22.5 clinic hours
Prerequisites: none
To gain an overall picture of patient reception, record keeping, examination, treatment methods, and herbal prescription, students observe senior practitioners as they treat patients in a classroom setting.
Observation II: Grand Rounds I — II
CP 012 & 013 ∙ 0.75 clinic units – 45 clinic hours total
Prerequisites: CP 011
In the “watching and following” stage of clinical practice, students observe senior practitioners as they diagnose and treat patients in the AIMC Berkeley Community Clinic. Case studies in each session discuss various aspects related to patient care, including diagnosis, treatment principles, point selection, needling techniques and precautions, and herbal formulas. Students write progress reports, reports of findings, and letters of necessity for patients they observe.
Observation III: Pre-Intern Observation I, II
CP 014 ∙ 0.75 clinic units – 22.5 clinic hours
Prerequisites: CP 011, CP 012
During this portion of the Observation series, students apprentice with third-year student interns and assist them with the treatment and care of the Community Clinic’s patients while preparing for the AIMC Berkeley Pre-Intern Competency Examination. Students also practice on each other doing intakes, making diagnoses, formulating treatment plans, and performing acupuncture under the guidance of Clinic faculty.
Internship Levels I-III
Internship Level I
CP 111 ∙ 10 clinic units – 300 clinic hours
Prerequisites: AC 111 – 113; three (3) units from OH 201 – 203; six (6) units from BS 141 – 143; IM 140 & 150; PE 201 & 210; CP 011 – 014; passage of the First Year AOM Comprehensive Examination; passage of the Pre-Clinical Competency Examination.
Students begin their internship series by interviewing patients, developing diagnosis and treatment plans, and administering treatment alongside clinical faculty. Particular attention is paid to asepsis, proper examination, diagnosis, point location, needling technique, and the preparation of herbal prescriptions.
Internship Level II
CP 211 · 10 clinic units – 300 clinic hours
Prerequisites: AC 111 – 113 & 201 – 204; OH 201 – 203; BS 141 – 143, IM 120, 130, 281, 302 & 150; PE 201; CP 111 & 291; passage of the Second Year AOM Comprehensive Examination
In the intermediate and advanced stages of clinical internship, students assume more active roles in diagnosis and treatment. Although supervisors are physically present during needling and continue to assist interns in
developing and refining their techniques, interns are expected to take responsibility for monitoring their patients’ progress, developing and adjusting treatment plans, and accurately recording patient chart information.
Internship Level III
CP 311 · 6 clinic units – 180 clinic hours
Prerequisites: CP 211
In the advanced stage of clinical internship, students assume more responsibility for patient care and function semi-independently.
Herb Dispensary
Herb Dispensary
CP 251 · 2 clinic units – 60 clinic hours
Prerequisites: CP 111
Students work in the herb dispensary to increase knowledge and familiarity with herb categories, identification, functions of herbs, and formula preparation, including dosages, modification of powder formulas with single herb powders, and participate in patient education on the use of herbal formulas.
Clinic Outreach
Clinic Outreach
CP 291 · 0.5 clinic units – 15 clinic hours
Prerequisites: OM 151 – 152 & 160; CP 011 – 013
Interns conduct community outreach activities in accompaniment of a licensed acupuncturist for public education of Oriental Medicine and promotion of the AIMC Community Clinic through lecture, demonstration, and tongue/pulse analysis.
Advanced Case Studies: Integrative Medicine in Practice
Advanced Case Studies: Integrative Medicine in Practice
CP 501 – 502 · 1 clinic unit each – 60 clinic hours total
Prerequisites: BS 141 – 143; IM 120, 130, 281 & 302; CP 111
Through the use of case studies, students learn to correlate Chinese medicine patterns and biomedicine disease identification, integrative treatment management, referrals, and lab/ diagnostic image ordering. Advanced practice in writing and modifying herbal prescriptions, selecting acupuncture points, and making appropriate dietary and lifestyle recommendations is also gained.
Post-Graduate Clinical Internship
Post-Graduate Clinical Internship
CP 500 ∙ 12 clinic units – 360 clinic hours
Prerequisites: completion of the MSOM program
In this elective course, post-graduate students continue to refine their clinical skills under the supervision of a licensed practitioner. This course allows for continued practice and patient contact during the period between graduation and licensure.
Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine College, Berkeley is a 501(c)(3) non profit organization committed to the development of caring, proficient, and successful practitioners who serve communities and the Oriental medicine profession worldwide by treating illness and promoting health and wellness.
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