AOMA Blog

AOMA Graduate School of Integrative Medicine has been named a 2015 Military Friendly® School by Victory Media, the leader in successfully connecting the military and civilian worlds.

The Military Friendly® Schools designation is awarded to the top 15 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools in the country that are doing the most to embrace military students, and to dedicate resources to ensure their success in the classroom and after graduation.

AOMA is proud to support student veterans – and proud of our students! To celebrate the announcement, we interviewed Tony Bailes, a master’s degree alum and current doctoral student at AOMA. In addition to being a full-time student, Tony is also the president of AOMA’s Student Veteran Organization and an active member of the campus community.

View the AOMA Acupuncture School listing on the G.I. Jobs website.

Tony Bailes, MAcOM, DAOM class of 2015

Military Branch: US Army
Years Served: 4

What prompted you to return to school?

After serving as a combat medic, I knew I had found a home in health care. The feeling of knowing that I could make a difference in people's lives, even a small one, was the greatest reward. My time in the service had given me some much needed direction. The thought of returning to school at my age was a little frightening and I wasn't sure I was making the right decision.

Why did you choose AOMA?

My decision to go to AOMA was the result of two dominating factors. I wanted to stay in healthcare, but was feeling the rigors of emergency care. Acupuncture and integrative medicine offered me an opportunity to treat patients over time and see their progression, as opposed to the "turn and burn" of emergency medicine. Another decisive factor was AOMA as a community. I began my discussion while still in Iraq and when I was able to visit in person, all those positive interactions I had were reinforced. The sense of community was overwhelming. I knew immediately that I was where I was meant to be.

What military education benefits, such as the GI Bill, did you use while attending? 

I used my Post 9/11 GI Bill and Federal Graduate Loans. I also took advantage of the Federal Work Study program.

What has your experience been like as a student or alumnus? 

As with any process, there were ups and downs. The program can be challenging, but the journey taught me so much. After finishing the master’s program, I still felt a little lost. By some random turn of events, I ended up in the first DAOM program and could not be happier. Being in the DAOM program has taught me much about myself and my capabilities. I am grateful and proud to be part of the inaugural cohort. The friendships and connections I have created have been incredibly supportive and nurturing. Seven years after my initial contact, I still feel the same level of connection and the sense of community I did that very first day I walked onto campus.

What advice do you have for veterans returning to school?

The adjustment can be a challenge. The single most important thing to remember is that the knowledge, experience, and discipline we acquired serving our country is easily applicable to our educational journey. We understand commitment and hard work, and I feel that gives us that intangible edge. The end result of the challenge holds great reward. Find your community and draw on the lessons learned from our service time. Most importantly, reach out when you need help and embrace the great things that lie ahead.

What challenges and rewards have you experienced while working with military and veteran populations in clinic?

The challenges have been mostly in the communication and boundaries. Military members and veterans are part of a very defined subculture. We have our own language and biases. The language often associated with our medicine does not always resonate with the veteran and military community. Coming up with a vocabulary that is respectful, yet informative was the biggest challenge. Another challenge exists in boundaries. By nature, veterans and military members have a tendency to be more guarded. Trust is not easily earned. The ability to gain the level of trust needed to be effective takes effort and time. Our greatest strength is our sense of community. The sense of community is something that is well reflected of the culture of AOMA and I feel that being able to extend that grace to our patients, regardless of their background, is what makes AOMA so special.

AOMA Graduate School of Integrative Medicine’s 18^th annual commencement ceremony took place on Sunday September 14, 2014. Thirty-eight graduates of the Master of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Degree program attended the exercises at the Omni Hotel at Southpark in Austin, Texas.

Lesley Hamilton, the Master of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Degree Program Director was the master of ceremonies. The procession of graduates was led by Dr. Qianzhi (Jamie) Wu, Vice President of Faculty.

Dr. William Morris, AOMA President made the opening remarks and introduced Victor S. Sierpina, MD who delivered the keynote address. Dr. Sierpina spoke to the graduates about seeing acupuncture as a way of life and the need and opportunity for integrative approaches in our current healthcare system. “Be active in advocating for health insurance reform to cover what you bring to the system. You can make a difference in shaping the health care system of the future.”

Anne Province, VP of Student Services, presented the Calvin Key Wilson Community Leadership Award to Tara Lattimore for her commitment to leadership for the student body through the student association and beyond. Additional proceedings included faculty speakers, awarding of degrees, and a healer's oath, followed by a reception in the lobby.

Completing a rigorous four-year master’s degree program which includes more than 900 hours of clinical internship, AOMA graduates are at the forefront of their field, integrating Eastern and Western medicine in clinics and hospitals. Upon graduation, these thirty-eight professionals will work in independent private practice, multi-disciplinary clinics, substance abuse treatment facilities, hospice programs, oncology centers, community acupuncture clinics, military/veterans facilities, and corporate wellness programs.

Dr. Violet Song was featured on KXAN's Studio 512 to talk about how Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture can be used to treat infertility. Dr. Song spoke with Amanda Tatom about acupuncture, herbs, and nutrition for fertility. 

Patients can request an appointment online or call our offices at (512) 454-1188.

AOMA Herbal Medicine is proud to announce the addition of a larger selection of supplements and western herbs in our retail stores. Since the beginning of 2014 we have been carrying select products from some of the most trusted brands in the business including Gaia Herbs, Pure Encapsulations, and Ayush Herbs, Inc. Based on requests from our customers, students, and integrative practitioners (including an MD, chiropractor, and licensed acupuncturists) we have added these supplements in order to complement our large amount of Chinese herbs, patents, tinctures, and topicals.

Gaia Herbs

Gaia Black Cohosh

Gaia Kava Kava

Gaia Valerian

Gaia St. John’s Wort

Gaia Ginkgo Leaf

Gaia Black Elderberry Syrup

Pure Encapsulations

Pure Encapsulations Buffered Ascorbic Acid

Pure Encapsulations Magnesium Citrate

Pure Encapsulations Melatonin

Pure Encapsulations CoQ10

Pure Encapsulations L-Glutamine

Pure Encapsulations Nutrient 950 ®

Ayush Herbs, Inc.

Ayush Neem Oil

Ayush Mayanarayan Oil

Ayush Carditone

And More!

Klaire Vital-10 100c Probiotics

White Mountain Epsom Salt

Nordic Naturals Arctic Omega

Vital Nutrients Slipery Elm Bark

Nature’s Way Aloe Vera

AOMA Graduate School of Integrative Medicine and Austin Fit Magazine co-sponsored the East West Forum on Integrative Sports Medicine on July 24, 2014 with prominent sports medicine specialists. Part of AOMA’s vision is building bridges. The East West Forum is one of the ways that AOMA brings together biomedical and integrative medical practitioners.

Sarah Bentley, Director of Community Relations at AOMA, facilitated the discussion of cutting-edge techniques and holistic solutions for injury recovery and prevention with guest  speakers Martha Pyron, MD, Ann Mowat, LAc, and John Tuggle, DC.

Watch and share the video of the event!

About the speakers:

Martha Pyron is board certified in both family medicine as well as sports medicine and is the founder of Medicine in Motion, a Sports Medicine & Physical Rehabilitation Clinic in north Austin with an integrated care approach to injury and illness.

Dr. John Tuggle, doctor of chiropractic also known as the “Tri Doc” has an integrative practice in Cedar Park.

Ann Mowat is a licensed acupuncturist and certified Sports Medicine Acupuncture specialist. She’s the founder of 512 Wellness in central Austin.

Monday and Wednesday rotations at AOMA’s north clinic with AOMA supervisor Elizabeth Fordyce are a pleasingly unique therapeutic experience. Fordyce began supervising at AOMA in 2004. With a history as an EMT before becoming an acupuncturist, she has completed extensive post-graduate studies in the Tan Balance Method and Master Tung’s points. Fordyce has practiced as a licensed acupuncturist and registered massage therapist since 1993.

Fordyce’s intern clinic rotations are full of innovative acupuncture protocols, with comprehensive techniques that treat an array of ailments. Her out-of-the-box thinking is contagious, and students flourish under her guidance. Her relaxed manner and confidence trickle down to create a healing epicenter for student-collaborated treatment plans. Of notable mention, and among many different approaches, three sub-modalities of acupuncture commonly used in this clinic are:

Dr. Tan’s Balance Method

Master Tehfu Tan embodies the Wu Bian philosophy in all areas of his practice and the legacy that he has created. Wu Bian is Mandarin for infinite possibilities, and has been fused into at least 25 years of revolutionary work that Dr. Tan has made available to practitioners across the globe. His protocols often use fewer points that are located in regions farther away from, but still related to, areas of pain. This style uses a 3-step strategy that provides “logical and precise guidance toward a minimal number of distal points which avoid aggravating local areas of pain.” It also incorporates meridian pathway and palpation diagnosis, with applicable channel theory, to promote relief within seconds.

Master Tung’s Points

With an extremely effective treatment approach, Master Tung Ching Chang is easily referred to as one of the greatest acupuncture masters who has ever lived. These points were “a treasured family secret, handed down and refined over generations,” and were used with at least 40,000 patients between 1953 and1975 alone. Similar to the Tan Method, Master Tung’s protocols use fewer needles than some of the other treatment types, and in most cases they are known for bringing instant relief upon insertion. Practitioners can treat even some of the most difficult cases with these groupings, thanks to the benevolence of Master Tung himself.

Esoteric Acupuncture

Esoteric Acupuncture (EA) was developed by Dr. Mikio Sankey to “define a way of life that emphasizes the awakening and expansion of our spiritual center” in a way that addresses the most fundamental levels of healing from the heart. It is a synthesis of ageless wisdom, and is revered as more than ‘just another style of acupuncture,’ with the ability to treat both the immune system and the physical body. It is based on theosophy, Hindu and Tibetan cultures, the Kabbalah, sacred geometry, and color therapy, all rolled into one usable format. It is said that acupuncture is a transporter for the technique, and the universe is the provider of the information. With EA, form and structure combine with acupuncture and visualization to create a subtle, yet extremely impelling healing session. Patients often report feel refreshed, renewed, and capable of sorting through underlying issues that needed a gateway for processing. Mikio Sankey will be speaking in May 2015 at the 15^th Annual Southwest Symposium.

In summary, Elizabeth Fordyce imbues her students and clinics with effective curative strategies that get results and open up space for the body’s innate healing capacity to activate. Expect a healing experience like none other – come prepared to see changes and feel better. Patients can make appointments in the AOMA student acupuncture clinic under the supervision of Elizabeth Fordyce on Monday and Wednesday afternoons and evenings.

About the author:

Diana Beilman is an intern entering her final quarters at AOMA after transferring from The Oregon College of Oriental Medicine in the Fall of 2013. She received her B.S. in Kinesiology from Western Washington University in 2009 and has had an interest in health and nutrition for over a decade. With a passion for outdoor adventures, traveling and helping others, she plans on trekking through Southeast Asia to volunteer with various non-profit organizations after completing her degree in April. Some of her specialties include sports therapy, mental-emotional disorders and women's health, all of which she treats with multi-faceted protocols, including those mentioned in this article. Read about Diana's Great Acupuncture Adventure.

This BBC documentary features Kathy Sykes on her trip to China as she discovers incredible demonstrations of the use of acupuncture - from a woman undergoing heart surgery with acupuncture as her only anesthetic to what needle stimulation looks like in the brain using an MRI.

Overwhelmed trying to figure out how to start an Oriental medicine practice? Here are some tips from AOMA alumni!*

While you are in school:

Prepare early

Take your board exams before you graduate

Get licensed quickly after finishing boards

Develop a business plan during practice management class

Start developing marketing materials

Launch your website before graduation

Plan your career

Investigate different locations for your future practice (states, cities, venues) Consider specializing in something (ex. style of practice, specific patient demographic, type of condition(s), etc.)

Participate in an internship, externship, or apprenticeship (ex. AOMA’s Practice Management Fieldwork Program)

Consider a job on a cruise ship – it’s a great way to gain experience and travel!

Form relationships with your patients in the student clinic to build your future patient base

Find a successful mentor and pick their brain!

Get connected, join a networking group

Build a financial foundation

Set aside money for starting up your practice

Minimize student loan debt and understand the different repayment options

Forecast startup costs for your practice, including funding, insurance, advertising, etc.

Keep your day job as you build your practice to earn extra income

Learn Quickbooks or other basic accounting skills

Research pricing for treatments so you can charge enough for your services

After You Graduate:

Hone your business & professional skills

Buy a point of sale system to handle financial transactions

Consider selling supplements and herbs to boost your practice’s income

Consider offering adjunct techniques to patients like medical qigong, bodywork

Outline clear treatment plans so patients know what to expect

Continue to work on your bed-side manners to improve the patient experience Provide patient & community education

Volunteer in your community for extra visibility

Find a market coach if you need extra help with outreach

Practice a lot; start seeing as many patients as possible, as soon as possible

Make time for self-care

Take kidney tonics to keep your energy-level up 

Get acupuncture

Practice mind-body techniques to handle stress

General advice:

Start small & grow (be patient it will take time)

Take a vacation/time off after graduation – you might need the break!

Commit to life-long learning and more Oriental medicine techniques – never stop improving

Be passionate about TCM!

*Advice compiled from 2013 alumni survey.

Taking Care: Summer
AOMA’s recommendations for staying on top of Summer Heat

by Lauren St. Pierre-Mehrens

Summer in Austin is full of many wonderful things. Swimming at Barton Springs, backyard BBQs, free concerts at Zilker Park, and the HEAT. Well, for some the heat is wonderful; for most of us, it can be a challenge both mentally and physically. Summer Heat is one of the “six pernicious evils” in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theory and is nothing to scoff at. Protecting yourself and understanding how to avoid dehydration and heatstroke are vital to making the most of your summer and protecting your body for the rest of the year.

Summer is yang in nature and a time of increased energy and expansion. It gives us long days to explore this yang nature, to be social and active. A wider variety of local seasonal food is available, and it’s a wonderful time to diversify our diets with fresh fruits and vegetables. Nature has harmony in mind when we look at the foods around us. What’s local during the summer months often is what we should be eating due to the cooling nature of the foods.

It is also a time that requires protecting our yang from damage. Nothing sounds better during a midday scorcher than an ice cream or downing a full cup of ice water, but in TCM, this damages your yang. Why does that matter? Our body is constantly trying to balance yin and yang, hot and cold, moist and dry. When we damage one, the other can become relatively too great, or unchecked. Simply put, yang is the fire in us while yin is the water. If you keep pouring ice water over a fire, eventually it will be too weak to burn. We don’t see the problem with this in the summer when all we want is to put that fire out, but as the seasons change, we will start to see digestive and circulation problems. Acupuncture, herbs, and qigong can help to restore balance, but why not prevent potential problems in the first place?

In Austin, we also have Damp mixed in with our Summer Heat. Austinites might experience more heavy sensations in the body, as well as fatigue, abdominal fullness, and digestive upset. All the more reason to get in harmony with the season.

What might Summer Heat look like?

The excessive yang nature of Summer Heat affecting the body comes in many forms. We often will see a very red face, bright red tongue with yellow or no coating, fever, insomnia, irritability, restlessness, constipation or diarrhea, elevated blood pressure, headaches, mouth sores, skin rashes, and acne.

Children and the elderly as well as those who tend toward excess yang, or heat, may find they are more susceptible to Summer Heat.

What can I do to support my body?

• Stay hydrated and avoid peak sun. In Austin that can be from 10am to 4pm, or later, given that we’re on Daylight Savings Time. Use good judgment and always carry water and a hat or umbrella with you.
• Use cool packs on your elbow creases and the back of your neck if you’re overheated.
• Increase these foods, which have cooling properties:

◦     watermelon

◦     millet

◦     mung beans

◦     celery

◦     peppermint or chrysanthemum flower tea

◦     lemon/lime and other citrus

• Moderate/avoid these foods, which can be too warming, if you’re seeing Summer Heat signs:

◦     anything spicy and/or fried

◦     red meat

◦     lobster, mussels, and prawns

◦     chicken

◦     peanuts

◦     alcohol

Acupuncture and dietary therapy can be an effective way beat the heat, but watch for red flags of actual heat exhaustion or heatstroke and seek medical attention if they occur: fainting, dark-colored urine, rapid heartbeat, confusion, throbbing headache, and vomiting. Be safe, have fun, and come see us at AOMA for more personalized support.

About the author

Lauren has lived in Austin since 2006 by way of Lake Tahoe, California. While pursuing her MAcOM at AOMA she continues to work with The American Cancer Society as a cancer information specialist. She counts ATX as her home with her husband and two Boston terriers. http://www.earthspringacupuncture.com/

Some say that when you move to Austin you will inevitably get a tattoo, eat too many tacos, and feel completely overwhelmed by how bad the traffic is. This may be true, but when I started my first term at AOMA, I underwent a complete inner transformation instead. A lot can happen in just one term, trust me. And now that I am a second-term student, I am going to share with you five things that I experienced during my first term in acupuncture school so you might know what to expect.

During your first term at AOMA graduate school you are likely to:

Try to practice your newly learned acupuncture techniques on everyone you know

My family, roommates, significant other, and whoever happened to be within needles’ length developed a love-hate relationship with my incessant practicing. Eventually, I learned that I wanted to practice needling techniques on people more often than they wanted to let me do it. I wanted to see everyone’s tongue and feel everyone’s pulse. It is important to practice constantly even if you know very little about acupuncture points or pulse and tongue diagnosis. Once you have your first acupuncture techniques class, you might go a little crazy and buy all the moxa and needles you can afford in the AOMA Herbal Medicine store. You may start carrying needles with you everywhere you go. You will become an acupuncturist-in-the-making very quickly. Just don’t get too carried away!

Attempt to diagnose every aspect of your health under the terms of Chinese medicine

Yes, you could have spleen Qi deficiency. But chances are you don’t have every disease you learn about from Dr. Qianzhi Wu in Foundations of Chinese Medicine. You will, however, become very conscious of every aspect of your health, which I would say is a good thing. And while there are probably some of you out there who have your health completely together, I sadly did not. I stopped eating both gluten and dairy in my second month of acupuncture school. And while that has made enjoying pizza almost completely impossible, I am so happy to have done it because I feel so much better! Through several acupuncture appointments, listening to my teachers’ advice, taking plenty of herbs, and using my willpower I was able to wean myself off of all of my medications. You will learn many ways to take your health into your own hands, and you will find a community at AOMA that is very supportive of self-care.

Think your brain has reached maximum occupancy

I remember studying for a particularly difficult Point Location test, and no matter how hard I tried I just could not retain all of that information at once. I thought that my career as an acupuncturist would be over in my first term. And although I did not make an A on that test, I did just fine, anyway. When preparing for an exam I have a tendency to blow things out of proportion and think my world is going to end if I don’t earn an A. Do not be like me! Those who remain calm during test time always seem to make the best grades. There will be times that you just cannot possibly remember everything, especially during exam time. Just always do your best, and don’t stress too much about it. And as one of my favorite teachers taught me — write your questions down! I would like to add that you should also write down everything you would like to remember in general. When it is crunch time, you will want some good notes to work with. Just remember, no matter how intense it gets, it is totally worth it!

Start believing that acupuncture must be magic and that it heals all ailments

At first I was pretty skeptical. I wondered just how exactly a needle in your finger could help the cough you’ve had for a week. But I kept an open mind. You will learn, as I did, that acupuncture can help almost any ailment. If you need some convincing, get a treatment at the clinic. My treatments at the student clinic completely resolved my health problems that I thought I would be stuck with for life. On top of that, it feels like every class includes an introduction to a really cool acupuncture-style party trick. For instance, if you or someone you know is having a nosebleed, you can rub a spot on their foot to make it stop. No, I am not kidding; it really works. And this is just one example. So many things you learn when studying Chinese medicine will change your life. By the time I finished my first term I felt like a completely different and healthier person.

Want to know everything all at once, because being patient is hard (for me)

Patience is not my strong suit. I want to know everything so well that studying becomes trivial and I make A’s on all my tests effortlessly. But it does not work that way. Most of the content you will learn in your courses is so foreign that at first you won’t understand what exactly it is that you are memorizing. While you will have to remember that LU6 is the “Xi-Cleft” point of that channel, it might take you a whole other term to find out what it is exactly that Xi-Cleft points do. But that is okay because patience is a virtue. Just keep swimming!

One of the biggest hurdles of becoming an acupuncturist is having the patience to learn everything and learn it right. It will happen all in due time. Do not be in a huge hurry. I have to remind myself to take it one day at a time and that soon enough I will master the fundamentals of acupuncture and Chinese medicine.

About Jessica:

Jessica Johnson is a full-time student within the Master of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine program at AOMA. Prior to beginning her studies in Chinese medicine, she completed a bachelor’s degree in Spanish at Austin College. Originally from Sherman, Texas, Jessica moved to Austin to begin her studies during the Winter 2014 term.