some reflections on recent dialogue

[Guest guest]

I have been reading these posts of late on the doctoral degree/PhD. and have

been trying

to listen to them also. I am " hearing " alot of things that frankly, are

disturbing and show

the great diversity of people who come to our field.

 

First of all, let me say I think what we DO is so much more important than what

we have (I

can say this easily and without envy since I do HAVE a legitimate Ph.D.). And we

all do this

" work " whatever you want to call it label it name it.

 

That said, I also see that some do it better than others. This fact results from

several

variables. Some people are able to tap into their existing skills very well and

some of those

have more existing skills than others (more on this below as this relates to

degrees to

some extent). Others have not realized their skills through lack of life

experience, lack of

education prior to entering TCM training and maybe lack of ability in the skill

sets needed

to do this " work " . But mostly, I think the problem lies in the schools

themselves. I have

seen firsthand, from the viewpoint of being a student entering a TCM school with

LOTS of

previous education, sitting next to other students with virtually no ability to

construct an

idea or even a sentence. Their level of fear very high and the resultant

responses have

created a classroom atmosphere which is well, form want of a better term

anti-intellectual.

I have seen this as an instructor told to pass these students despite... and I

am appallled

by this. I never witnessed nor experienced this in a true university setting.

 

Of course, we all know these schools are businesses and there are so many

dynamics

there that one email could not even begin to cover them. Let me suffice it to

say that the

genesis begins with admissions.

 

I am sure, reading these emails, that most everyone here does not fall into the

latter group

I described above. There are many many of us who are very comitted to continued

learning

and who do come with a wonderful toolbag of skills and ability and intelligence.

And this

is the set we need to encourage.

 

So this brings me to my last point (for the moment and the present email, I

might add. lol).

I have heard some amazingly and potentially hurtful comments here lately,

covered nicely

but nonetheless coming from some place which needs some (self) examination. On

some

level, degrees do matter. The comment that some TCM people who are, yes ARE

doctors,

use that PH.D. despite the fact they are not even working in that field is a

true

misunderstanding of what a Ph.D. is about. A Ph.D. is a philosophical degree.

it is not a

measure, or at least not a direct measure of how much data one has collected but

rather, it

is a measure of the ability to take disparate information, comprehend it at

multiple levels

and complete what at times is a very tedious and time consuming, patience

consuming,

every facet of one's being consuming act... going through so many hops and

hurtles and

setbacks that a true test of character emerges. It is the willingness to put

aside other

things for the sake of gaining NEW knowledge to the benefit of all. I think

this is the real

skill set and that one who has a Ph.D. (not the purhcased ones), is an asset to

our field

because it is these types of people we want to be taking care of patients, alas,

taking care

of us with that same diligence. This is a measure of the character of the

person. ... not the

person who tries to get away with the minimum output and yet, wlaks away with a

MSOM

or MSAOM or M.AC. or whatever. And that " character " comes through no matter the

subject.

 

And yes, the very dialogue that followed about electromagnetic fields is a

reflection of the

fact that one who comes to TCM with backgrounds in EE or BioChem or in my case

Medical

Anthropology, do bring ALL of them to bear on their profession as TCM

practitioners.

 

Let us not ignore or dismiss who we are. Let us honor that and ask MORE of

ourselves, not

just expect that just because we spend 3-4 years in a school, we should be

honored with a

Ph.D. or DOM or OMD or whatever. Let us ask more out of ourselves and give more.

 

And lastly...lastly... I do not envy the MDs. nor those with the OMD/DOM. These

are not

degrees that were earned with any more effort. They are simply licenses which

can be

taken away just as they were given. They are ascribed status not acheived

status. I prefer

the latter, which can never be taken away. But more than that, I prefer to do

the very best

I can for my patients, drawing on all of my life force, all of my experience,

working with

various cultural groups (including the culture of TCM practitioners) and using

that for the

betterment of all.

 

....stepping down from soap box.... lol

 

Diane M. Notarianni, Ph.D. L.Ac.

One World Medicine

Practitioner of Asian Medicine

Adjunct Professor of Anthropology

 

diane

[Guest guest]

Diane:

 

with true respect, thank you for interjecting this note coming from a higher

level.

 

appreciatively,

 

kb

 

 

On 2/26/07, Diane Notarianni <Diane wrote:

>

> I have been reading these posts of late on the doctoral degree/PhD. and

> have been trying

> to listen to them also. I am " hearing " alot of things that frankly, are

> disturbing and show

> the great diversity of people who come to our field.

>

> First of all, let me say I think what we DO is so much more important than

> what we have (I

> can say this easily and without envy since I do HAVE a legitimate Ph.D.).

> And we all do this

> " work " whatever you want to call it label it name it.

>

> That said, I also see that some do it better than others. This fact

> results from several

> variables. Some people are able to tap into their existing skills very

> well and some of those

> have more existing skills than others (more on this below as this relates

> to degrees to

> some extent). Others have not realized their skills through lack of life

> experience, lack of

> education prior to entering TCM training and maybe lack of ability in the

> skill sets needed

> to do this " work " . But mostly, I think the problem lies in the schools

> themselves. I have

> seen firsthand, from the viewpoint of being a student entering a TCM

> school with LOTS of

> previous education, sitting next to other students with virtually no

> ability to construct an

> idea or even a sentence. Their level of fear very high and the resultant

> responses have

> created a classroom atmosphere which is well, form want of a better term

> anti-intellectual.

> I have seen this as an instructor told to pass these students despite...

> and I am appallled

> by this. I never witnessed nor experienced this in a true university

> setting.

>

> Of course, we all know these schools are businesses and there are so many

> dynamics

> there that one email could not even begin to cover them. Let me suffice it

> to say that the

> genesis begins with admissions.

>

> I am sure, reading these emails, that most everyone here does not fall

> into the latter group

> I described above. There are many many of us who are very comitted to

> continued learning

> and who do come with a wonderful toolbag of skills and ability and

> intelligence. And this

> is the set we need to encourage.

>

> So this brings me to my last point (for the moment and the present email,

> I might add. lol).

> I have heard some amazingly and potentially hurtful comments here lately,

> covered nicely

> but nonetheless coming from some place which needs some (self)

> examination. On some

> level, degrees do matter. The comment that some TCM people who are, yes

> ARE doctors,

> use that PH.D. despite the fact they are not even working in that field is

> a true

> misunderstanding of what a Ph.D. is about. A Ph.D. is a philosophical

> degree. it is not a

> measure, or at least not a direct measure of how much data one has

> collected but rather, it

> is a measure of the ability to take disparate information, comprehend it

> at multiple levels

> and complete what at times is a very tedious and time consuming, patience

> consuming,

> every facet of one's being consuming act... going through so many hops and

> hurtles and

> setbacks that a true test of character emerges. It is the willingness to

> put aside other

> things for the sake of gaining NEW knowledge to the benefit of all. I

> think this is the real

> skill set and that one who has a Ph.D. (not the purhcased ones), is an

> asset to our field

> because it is these types of people we want to be taking care of patients,

> alas, taking care

> of us with that same diligence. This is a measure of the character of the

> person. ... not the

> person who tries to get away with the minimum output and yet, wlaks away

> with a MSOM

> or MSAOM or M.AC <http://m.ac/>. or whatever. And that " character " comes

> through no matter the

> subject.

>

> And yes, the very dialogue that followed about electromagnetic fields is a

> reflection of the

> fact that one who comes to TCM with backgrounds in EE or BioChem or in my

> case Medical

> Anthropology, do bring ALL of them to bear on their profession as TCM

> practitioners.

>

> Let us not ignore or dismiss who we are. Let us honor that and ask MORE of

> ourselves, not

> just expect that just because we spend 3-4 years in a school, we should be

> honored with a

> Ph.D. or DOM or OMD or whatever. Let us ask more out of ourselves and give

> more.

>

> And lastly...lastly... I do not envy the MDs. nor those with the OMD/DOM.

> These are not

> degrees that were earned with any more effort. They are simply licenses

> which can be

> taken away just as they were given. They are ascribed status not acheived

> status. I prefer

> the latter, which can never be taken away. But more than that, I prefer to

> do the very best

> I can for my patients, drawing on all of my life force, all of my

> experience, working with

> various cultural groups (including the culture of TCM practitioners) and

> using that for the

> betterment of all.

>

> ...stepping down from soap box.... lol

>

> Diane M. Notarianni, Ph.D. L.Ac.

> One World Medicine

> Practitioner of Asian Medicine

> Adjunct Professor of Anthropology

>

> diane <diane%40oneworldmedicine.com>

>

>

>

 

 

 

--

Kath Bartlett, LAc, MS, BA UCLA

Oriental Medicine

Experienced, Dedicated, Effective

 

Asheville Center For

70 Woodfin Place, Suite West Wing Two

Asheville, NC 28801 828.258.2777

kbartlett

www.AcupunctureAsheville.com