peers and accreditation, licensing, etc.

[Guest guest]

, WMorris116@A... wrote:

The development of the standards that the

> peer review process evaluates is a consensus building effort that occurs with

> input from all key stake holders.

 

depends on how one defines peer. a peer could be someone of equal legal

standing (all

L.Ac.s are peers by that definition). It could be someone of like philosophy,

training,

outlook. In that case, it is clear that one may have peers that cross

professional

boundaries, as I firmly believe chinese herbalism does (but acupuncture does

not) ANd,

perhaps more importantly, not everyone in a given profession may actually be the

peer of

everyone else. For example, Alon has asked me to review his book. We are peers

when it

come to herbalism and integrative medicine and systems science and research, but

I am

hardly his peer in orthopedics. So on a certain level I can write as his peer.

I believe many

in the field of OM are not my peers when it comes to herbology because of the

simple

reason that they have no real passion for it (I am not speaking of those on this

list

obviously, but we make up about 5% or less of the profession including current

students).

I don't really want chinese herbology controlled by those who have no passion

for it. So

those inside and outside the field of acupuncture who are passionate need to

band

together and promote this aspect of OM both within and without the profession.

 

The fact is that unlicensed chinese herbology is legal and will always be

legal. wouldn't it

be better if there was some optional certification mechanism for such

individuals.

wouldn't it serve the public good that if these folks are out there, that there

be a way to

assess their competency. wouldn't it be good if all certified TCM herbalists,

whether

licensed or unlicensed could promote herbology without being constantly

hanstrung with

compromises that cater to those who are primarily acupuncturists. I am not

talking about

another licensed profession here. I am talking about fully legitimizing what is

already

widespread. Ask yourself, if any of your training has come from an unlicensed

chinatown

herbalist, are we better or worse off with these folks around. If the answer is

yes, is it

better for them to be ornaized, cerified allies or undergound competetitors. It

seems a no

brainer to me.