AOMA Blog

A Necessary Change for the Better

Posted by Brian Becker on Wed, Sep 09, 2020 @ 05:56 PM

In recent weeks you may have noticed some small yet important changes the world of Acupuncture, Acupuncture school, and AOMA. Although still the same degree our Master’s, which for years was known as a MAcOM is now called the MAc, and our Professional Doctorate has gone from DAcOM to DAc. In both cases the letters OM originally stood for Oriental Medicine, representing the herbal components of the respective degrees. In fact the name AOMA was at first an acronym, the letters standing for Academy of Oriental Medicineat Austin. The wording behind each of the letters has since been dropped, and today the name AOMA represents our institutional identity.

The removal of the word “Oriental” from our degree and even the name of our organization has been a long time coming, but why is that? To answer this question we must look into the history of the word itself. Where it originated and how it evolved over the course of two millennia.

The word “Orient” comes from the Latin oriens, meaning East. In fact the word literally translates as rising, and thus the Roman name for the East was a reference to the rising sun. This was common cultural phenomenon. The Chinese character  dōng is meant to represent the sun rising behind a tree, while Japan is referred to as “The Land of the Rising Sun”.Dioecesis_Orientis_400_AD

The association of the word Orient with a specific territory began in the Fourth Century AD when the Diocese of the Orient (Dioecesis Orientis) was established by Rome. The idea of the Orient as a reference to the Middle East remained cemented in place for quite some time. Even the famed Orient Express, which ran from 1883 to 2009, ended in Istanbul.

It was during the mid-1800s that the geographical meaning of the word began to shift, and the word Orient came to encompass India and to some extent China as well. By the middle of the 20th century the word was generally used as a reference to East and Southeast Asia.

What’s revealed by this is the Eurocentric nature of the word, referring to a location based on what is considered eastern by various cultures which have dominated Europe and later the Americas since the days of the Roman Empire, and by extension the people who live in the east.

While not as overt as other terms, the word took on increasingly negative connotations throughout the age of colonization, especially in the 19th century and on into the early 20th. For many the word is now forever tied to the racism of the age. In fact many western novels of the time depicted “Oriental” peoples and nations as backwards and savage in nature. “Oriental” women were often depicted as simplistic and hypersexualized while “Oriental” men were shown as meek, cunning, or downright barbaric. Pulp magazines such as Oriental Stories, published in the 1930’s, heavily reinforced these racist stereotypes. Artistic representations of the East did much the same.

The problematic nature of this was first discussed in the 1960’s, and in 1969 Karen Umemoto, director of UCLA’s Asian American Studies Center stated “Many of the stereotypes of Orientals and Orientalism was part of the project of imperialist conquest — British, and later, American — in Asia, with the exoticization of the Oriental as well as the creation of threat and fear, as evidenced in the yellow peril movement.”

From the 1970’s on the phrase “Asian-American” began to replace “Oriental” when speaking of Americans with Asiatic ancestry, and by 1980 the word “Oriental” no longer appeared on the United States Census. In 2016 President Obama signed a bill prohibiting the word “Oriental” in all federal documents.

It is with these negative stereotypes in mind, and the damage caused by them, that AOMA 3-2019AOMA along with the world of Acupuncture as a whole has moved away from the usage of the word. The medicine taught and practiced at AOMA comes not from the falsely depicted “backwards nations” of colonial fiction, but from the rich, vibrant cultures of Asia which were just as diverse and advanced (more so at times) as those of Europe. By shedding this burdened word from our lexicon we seek not to abandon the roots of Acupuncture, but rather to continue integrating this medicine into American society.

Topics: Traditional Chinese Medicine, AOMA Herbal Medicine, chinese herbalism, herbal medicine, herbal studies, curriculum, chinese herbs, herbal program, aoma, acupunture

Archetypal Liberal Arts Major Goes Rogue, Studies Acupuncture

Posted by Justine Meccio on Mon, Mar 03, 2014 @ 01:10 PM

First, I’ll tell you that 18 months ago I was established in a career while yearning to go back to school, expand my life practices, and further devote myself to meaningful professional change. Now, a current student at AOMA, I just finished my 5th term.  At no point have I looked back, although I never would have predicted my life would take this path. In 2002, I graduated from college with a bachelor’s degree in English that included extensive studies in calculus and Flemish art history. I felt like the prototype of liberal arts major, qualified for everything in general but nothing in particular—or so I told myself.

When I first thought about studying Traditional Chinese Medicine

It was 9 years ago when I first thought about studying Traditional Chinese Medicine. The thought lasted about 5 minutes, extinguished when I recalled that my science background consisted of contrasting types of volcanoes in my undergraduate geology class. I was intimidated by the natural science component included in acupuncture & Chinese medicine programs. My extensive knowledge of Renaissance poetry, for all its complexity, would not help me differentiate tendons in the wrist. My essays on the ethics of historical scholarship would not equip me to understand how a virus invaded the body. And somehow enrolling in the local community college at night to get my science prerequisites just to apply to a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) program seemed too daunting. At the time, it simply wouldn’t fit into my life, so I gave up hopes of being an acupuncturist.

For the next decade my career progressed in education business management and then teaching special education in public schools. While in these positions, I truly felt that I helped heal children as I taught. No matter what I did, I was a healer at heart. The nagging thought of practicing TCM returned. Finally, I visited AOMA’s website.

That’s when I realized that everything I believed for those nine years was wrong.

Reviewing the admissions requirements for the Master of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine program showed me I did qualify to apply despite my limited natural science background. I realized the graduate program included all of the western medicine courses I thought I would need to complete in advance.

After looking on the school’s website, I scheduled a tour of the campus and talked to some current students. Within a few days I realized that this was the real thing, and I could do it. In fact, the liberal arts major in me realized that I could make a darn fine TCM student.

Discovering the Human Body

The biomedical sciences curriculum at AOMA is delivered by experienced instructors who have insight into anatomy and pathology that is particularly relevant to an acupuncturist. Dr. Joel  Cone, who I met in my first week at AOMA, knew I needed encouragement and was very helpful.

My first term within the master’s program, I started taking anatomy and physiology. The biomedicine series continued and I took microbiology and pathophysiology. I spent a full year diving into the human body, the muscles, bones, organ systems, and microorganisms inside and outside of us. I began to walk around looking at everyone, imagining I could see the sinews and tendons underneath their skin moving in a choreographed dance as they walked. After that first year, I felt  as though  I had developed a magical power to see through skin to inspect everything on the inside.  When my throat and lungs got irritated in in the winter, I imagined the tissues trying to expel pathogens rather than thinking about getting sick. The human body came to life as an amazing machine, and I experienced it as a new piece of scientific art that I inhabited.

Integration

Don’t get me wrong, every acupuncture student and practitioner must be able to name the tendons in the wrist and understand how a virus invades the body—along with all the bones, muscles, blood constituents, and more. This biomedical background is essential to a Chinese medicine practitioner who must know how to communicate with and build a treatment plan for patients with biomedical diagnoses. However, TCM is made of the desire to heal as much as the knowledge of science. I’ve tried to put my finger on that “thing” that drew me to this field of study and practice. Sure, it was easy to say that I wanted to help people, that it gave me a sense of satisfaction to help those who are sick feel better. But there is also something else. I had previously studied literature and art and TCM fit into an amazing framework of culture and philosophy that I found exciting at an academic and personal level. My knowledge of this framework in a more abstract unscientific view helped me see TCM embedded as a cultural orientation that fit my spirit.

With my liberal arts background, I realized I simply and beautifully had even more to integrate into my journey as a healer.

Kate Wetzel ImageAbout Kate Wetzel:
Kate is a graduate student within AOMA’s Master of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine program. Prior to beginning her studies in acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine she completed a BA in English at Trinity University and worked as special education teacher for the Austin Independent School District.

 

 

 

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Topics: Traditional Chinese Medicine, student spotlight, acupuncture school, transformation, curriculum, liberal arts

Top 5 Reasons to Choose AOMA as your School of Acupuncture

Posted by Sarah Bentley on Sat, Jan 05, 2013 @ 04:44 PM

Regional Accreditation

AOMA is the first single-purpose school of acupuncture and Chinese medicine in the nation to receive regional accreditation. AOMA is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) to award the master's degree. Regional accreditation makes it easier for AOMA students to transfer credits and degrees to other universities and programs. Because the institutional standards for regional accreditation are rigorous, regional accreditation also ensures a level of educational quality for AOMA students. More information about masters degree, job placement rates and program costs.

Rigorous Comprehensive Curriculumschool of acupuncture

AOMA's Master of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (MAcOM) program is rigorous and comprehensive and includes over 900 hours of clinical internship. Students receive education in acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, biomedical sciences, mind-body exercise, Asian bodywork, practice management, case management, and clinical communications. AOMA’s herbal program is one of the strongest in the nation and AOMA is one of the few professional programs to integrate taiji and qigong. Check out the curriculum.

Internationally Recognized Faculty

AOMA recruits and employs highly qualified and experienced faculty, many of whom are from China and other countries. The cultural diversity of the faculty adds another dimension to the educational experience of our students and the quality of our faculty assures students a sound knowledge base for practice. Our faculty includes PhDs, physicians, doctors of osteopathy, chiropractors, naturopaths, and pharmacists in a variety of areas. Our faculty hold degrees representing institutions in China, Israel, India, as well as the United States. Meet our faculty.

school of acupuncture

Successful Alumni

AOMA graduates have discovered a life of passion and purpose – a life where professional achievement meets personal fulfillment. They have gone on to become private practice acupuncturists, herbalists, authors, university faculty, entrepreneurs, as well as pursuing doctoral degrees in acupuncture. They speak at national conferences, author books and journal articles about Chinese medicine and go on to teach at the graduate level. AOMA graduates are at the forefront of medicine, practicing in clinics that integrate Eastern and Western medical traditions. Read AOMA alumni spotlights for insight into real life practice after graduation.

Community in Austin, Texas

Austin is a vibrant city with a host of entertainment options for visitors. Austinites enjoy hiking, cycling, swimming, local food, and listening to live music. AOMA is fortunate to find itself encircled by many diverse communities in which our students actively participate. Students find ample avenues available to sustain their growth both personally and professionally as healers in a city noted for supporting a healthy lifestyle. Get helpful tips and information about travel, accommodations, and finding your way around the city to make planning your visit to Austin easy.

Master of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine

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Topics: acupuncture school, regional accreditation, curriculum, Austin

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