peers and accreditation, licensing, etc.

[Guest guest]

Hi Todd -

 

I would think the context of our conversation (accreditation) would present

an obvious definition of peers as institution to institution. That said, a site

team is usually composed of an institutional member, a commissioner and a

practitioner. By the way, the commission is looking for practitioners for site

visits. It is a great way to learn and give back to the profession, just send

your CV to the commission; you can go to ACAOM.org for contact data.

Additionally, accreditation is an optional peer review process that schools

choose for

purposes of Tile IV funding - that is - the ability for students to get

federally funded financial aid.

 

Now... what this has to do with unlicensed herbal medicine is baffling to me.

Licensing is the purview of state governance bodies. I believe strongly in

the countercultural values that cause people to practice without regulation.

However, I question whether it will always be legal without vigilance. Church

driven witch hunts were partially designed to eliminate the unlicensed

professional and place control in the licensed physician's hands. The famous

English

physician Culpeper is an example of an unlicensed practitioner who changed the

world and empowered the unlicensed practitioner. But - remember that Culpeper

was ousted from the apothecary guild long before his momentous rendering of the

Latin materia medica into English so the 'people' had access to medical

information. May Codex never find Roger Wicke in Montana....maybe I'll take him

up

on his offer to visit.

 

Lastly, peer review is a pillar of professional life, and everyone who

practices medicine does not necessarily do so professionally. Therefore, I think

that the American Herbalist Guild is a good model for optional certification

that

provides a modicum of peer process.

 

Will

 

 

> 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.

 

 

Will Morris, L.Ac., OMD, MSEd

Dean of Educational Advancement

Emperor's College

Secretary AAOM

 

 

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