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This series of courses helps you understand the context within which you can practice medicine as a primary health care provider, and most importantly, how to be successful in what you choose to do with your education and training. This track includes a historical perspective of healing in the first trimester, then legal & ethical responsibilities, and counseling & communication skills in the fourth trimester.
The sixth trimester begins a three-trimester series of practice-building classes, where the goal is to help you gain the knowledge, skills and attitude necessary to be successful in your life after your degree program. The series begins with an introduction to the professional landscape. You then practice yin or “inward” skills through developing a stronger understanding of your unique interests and passions, and how these attributes translate into a relevant and profitable market niche. You also practice yang or “outward” skills through role-playing, creating and delivering presentations for the public on Oriental Medicine, and job-shadowing health care professionals in their clinics. The eighth trimester also brings to bear information relating to public health and the role of Oriental medicine.
Professional Ethics & Practice Course Descriptions>>
Two terms before graduation (ninth trimester), you tackle the nuts-and-bolts of setting up and running a private practice in Practice Management. Significantly, this includes your creating a useable business plan; we are aware of no other acupuncture school in the world that currently requires this. Our mission is to help you become a successful practitioner of acupuncture, Oriental and integrative medicine.
<< Integrative Clinical Medicine | Comprehensive Exams >>
PE 100
History of Healing
(1 unit; 1-hour lecture) Prerequisites: None.
Explores the historical development of Oriental and Western medicine from ancient times through the present to provide students the broad framework within which Oriental medicine resides. Includes cultural, philosophical, and religious influences on Western and Oriental Medicine.
PE 201
Counseling & Communication
(2 units; 2-hour lecture) Prerequisites: BS 030
Students develop basic skills in listening, counseling, explaining, and teaching as applied to clinical relationships. Emphasis on empathy, skillful management of psychological reactions that occur during treatment, making appropriate referrals, and managing different types of patients.
PE 210
Ethics and Law
(1 unit; 1-hour lecture) Prerequisites: None.
Students learn legal and ethical issues that may arise in the clinical practice setting of a Licensed Acupuncturist, including regulatory compliance, jurisprudence, and peer review. Introduces AIMC Berkeley culture and vision, professional activism, and the AIMC Berkeley practitioner oath.
PE 220
Public Health & Oriental Medicine
(2 units; 2-hour lecture) Prerequisites: PE 210
Students learn about Oriental Medicine and public health as it relates to community health, disease prevention, awareness of at-risk populations, education, drug addictions, communicable disease, public health alerts, and epidemiology. Students also complete didactic portion of NADA certification training, needing only 40 hours more of clinical experience to become NADA certified.
PE 230
Bio-Medicine Review & Comprehensive Exam
(2 units; 2-hour lecture) Prerequisites: IM 281-284
This course features a review of material pertinent to primary healthcare and appropriate referal, and two (2) comprehensive exams. Passage of one of these comprehensive exams (>70%) is required for graduation.
PE 319
Introduction to Practice Building
(1 unit; 1-hour lecture) Prerequisites: None.
Introduces students to practice building, including appropriate strategies, networking, word-of-mouth & “guerrilla” marketing, and communication skills in self-promotion and public education. Guest lecturers are featured, with individual and group practical assignments throughout the term.
PE 321A
Yin of Practice Building
(0.5 units each; 0.5-hour lecture) Prerequisites: PE 319.
Students develop Yin or inward knowledge, skills and attitudes requisite to successful practice development. Students will attend lectures by professional practitioners and "job shadow" an OM healthcare professional.
PE 321B
Yang of Practice Building
(0.5 units each; 0.5-hour lecture) Prerequisites: PE 319.
Students develop Yang or outward knowledge, skills and attitudes requisite to successful practice development, including practical approaches to networking, promotion, and public education. Students will attend lectures by professional practitioners, "job shadow" a non-OM healthcare professional, and complete outreach projects.
PE 330
Practice Management
(2 units; 2-hour lecture) Prerequisites: PE 321A; PE 321B.
Students prepare for establishing and running their own practices according to established statute and regulations governing the practice of acupuncture in California. Students synthesize their learning from Practice Building and Clinical Practice classes into a useable business plan.
Students learn practice management issues related to maintenance of patient files, record keeping, patient follow-up, establishment of referral networks, practicing in interdisciplinary offices and hospitals, malpractice insurance, CPT/ICD-9 Coding, billing issues, workers' compensation, personal injury, front office setup, supplies and inventory, business record keeping, sales, taxes, withholding, business licenses, and office environment.
PE 340-1
Community Acupuncture Practice Development (elective)
Community Acupuncture is a high-volume sliding scale fee practice model. Its intention is to provide affordable acupuncture for working class and middle class patients and patients who lack insurance coverage for acupuncture while providing the acupuncturist with a fulfilling workplace. Its broader purpose is to increase health care accessibility and build community.
The class will provide practical assistance to the acupuncture students who want to set up a community-style acupuncture practice after graduation and licensing. Students will gain a clear understanding of how a community acupuncture practice thinks, works, and what approaches contribute to the success or failure of this business model. The class will also stimulate some critical thinking about the practice of acupuncture in America.
Acupuncture School Curriculum>> Clinical Practice | Oriental Medicine Theory | Oriental Herbology | Acupuncture | Basic Sciences | Integrative Clinical Medicine | Professional Ethics & Practice | Comprehensive Exams | Curriculum Map (PDF) | Miscellaneous
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