Our schools do not properly prepare our graduates for medical practice

May 3, 2007

Alon,

Your point is very important and should be part of this strategy. But

remember, the curricula of our schools were designed primarily to prepare

students to pass the state board exam (at least here in California), and only

secondarily to properly prepare to enter medical practice. It's that which

makes the DAOM so very important, because, G-d willing, it will prepare those of

us who choose to proceed academically, to learn in a formal scholarly setting

what so many of you have had to pick up piecemeal, through continuing education

courses, personal research and the school of life.

Yehuda

Alon Marcus <alonmarcus wrote:

I wish you could explain this to the schools

-

yehuda frischman

Wednesday, May 02, 2007 7:12 PM

" Why can't we all just get along? "

Doug is absolutely right. We do treat disease, let's be honest! (despite what

the law currently says!) We don't live in an insular world. Isolationism may

work in the short term, and we will definitely succeed in being able messengers

to heal the millions who have been failed by the Western medical treatment

paradigm and who come to us as a last resort, BUT, if we fail to articulate to

legislators who have been brainwashed by the big money of the pharmaceutical

companies, researchers, MDs and medical schools that to the belief

that their paradigm is mainstream, reasonable, and ultimately (even if they

don't have a cure yet!) efficacious, then we are doomed to repeat the fate that

befell 19th century homeopaths and eclectic naturopaths: we will be regulated

into a corner and ultimately be castrated and equated with massage therapists,

maybe even having to work under MD's supervision. They want us out! We threaten

their monopoly, even more than

chiropractors, because we practice medicine, not just manipulation. Can't you

see that!!! The only approach we can take for that nightmarish scenario to not

enter into the realm of possibility requires the following:

1. Solid education in Western medical terminology.

2. Published research supporting the premise that we can successfully treat

Western Medically named conditions that is disseminated to our community and is

readily accessable.

3. Extensive opportunities and easy access for those of us who are unable to

translate our terminology, whether in philosophy, diagnosis, or treatment into

Western applications to be taught and reviewed how, so as to know what to

explain when asked.

4. Moment to moment access to the latest Western medical developments, with our

finest minds translating the information into Chinese medical language for us to

consider our application of them.

5. BIG MONEY put into lobbying and lots of volunteer grassroots organizing to

enable us to fight back and win ourselves a safe niche.

To quote another inhabitant of LA, " Why can't we all just get along? " (Rodney

King,

Mar 1991). We are so disinfranchised with so many different feifdoms, while the

medical establishment has only one thing going against it--our trump card: the

growing number of dissatisfied and sick patients that they either created or are

unable to resolve.

If we survive the right way, then we win--because we are agents of healing where

they fail.

In the 60s they used to say, " dress British, think Yiddish. " We need to keep our

integrity and not capitulate to the bio-medical paradigm that wants to swallow

up acupuncture and herbal medicine, BUT, we also need to act smart, walk the

walk and talk the talk if we are going to survive.

Sincerely,

Yehuda

wrote:

But this is where the crux of the issue with the FDA lies. If we indeed say we

treat diseases

then we need the proof that we do. Forget about us for a minute, if this wasn't

required

then everybody could make claims on treating diseases. It would be snake-oil

redux. I

would glad enough just to say we can treat in our own TCM medical vocabulary.

doug

, " " <zrosenbe

wrote:

>

> I agree with most of the points you are making, except for the

> statement " we should not have to hide behind TCM diagnosis jargon " .

> The language of Chinese medicine contains the essence of the subject,

> and your statement implies that only 'biomedical jargon' is real.

> Yes we treat disease, largely through pattern differentiation, but

> medical Chinese language and principles is what we base our practice

> on primarily. We shouldn't discount it in any way.

>

> On Apr 29, 2007, at 4:12 PM, Dr. W. W. Waldrope DOM AP wrote:

>

> >

> > I believe that a STRONG, concerted effort on our part is necessary to

> > assure the continued existence of TCM as we know it. We are doctors

> > and we should say so. Our pharmacoepia is comprised of herbal

> > medicines that treat disease and we should say so. We should not have

> > to hide behind TCM diagnosis jargon in order to avoid notice.

>

May 3, 2007

Yehuda

My point is also that the schools have not been in the forefront of widening our

scope of practice and empowering the profession, in fact for the most part they

have done just the opposite. A wider scope and following accepted community

education standards for primary care providers would have solidified our place

in health care to a much greater degree. It would have allowed us to use many

effective techniques such as injections and to integrate more effectively in the

health care system. But don't hold your breath, the schools will never change as

long as we have the same structure.

-

yehuda frischman

Thursday, May 03, 2007 12:41 AM

Our schools do not properly prepare our graduates for medical

practice

Alon,

Your point is very important and should be part of this strategy. But

remember, the curricula of our schools were designed primarily to prepare

students to pass the state board exam (at least here in California), and only

secondarily to properly prepare to enter medical practice. It's that which makes

the DAOM so very important, because, G-d willing, it will prepare those of us

who choose to proceed academically, to learn in a formal scholarly setting what

so many of you have had to pick up piecemeal, through continuing education