Clients often ask me how I came to practice acupuncture. It was always my intention to become a doctor.
I received my Bachelors of Science with an emphasis in Pre-Medicine. After graduating I became a nurse at All Women's Health Services, a holistic clinic in Eugene, Oregon. The clinic utilized an integrative approach; medical doctors, a naturopathic doctor, an acupuncturist and nurses all worked side by side to provide basic health services. Truthfully my intention was to follow and learn from the naturopathic doctor, but after receiving my first series of acupuncture treatments I changed course. What was this 3000 year old medicine? And how did it work almost like a miracle for me? I applied for and was accepted into the 4 year Masters degree program at American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine(ACTCM). I moved to San Francisco and began my program of study.
I graduated from ACTCM with a Masters of Science in Traditional Chinese Medicine and a Certification in Tui Na Massage Therapy. I fulfilled my clinical residency studies in diverse, integrative settings including the California Pacific Medical Center's Stroke and Rehabilitation Unit, St. James Infirmary for Sex Workers, The ACTCM Auricular Clinic, and The ACTCM Community Clinic.
In 2006, I took a semester away from my degree program and traveled to China in order to gain experience in holistic gynecology. I trained at Zhe Jiang University affiliated hospitals in Hang Zhou, China. Chinese Medicine practice in China more closely mirrored my nursing experience. Clients saw the acupuncturist for not only herbs and acupuncture, but their annual pap smear, and fertility and abortion services. While there I also completed advanced training in the dermatology, cardiology, and pediatrics.
·20I In 2012, I returned to school again, this time for a Doctorate specialty in Chinese Medicine with an focus on women's health, pediatrics, and pain management. My doctorate capstone is an academic study of insufficient lactation. My doctorate mentors included Raven Lang, famous midwife and acupuncturist and Claudia Citkowitz who practices Chinese Medicine on a Labor and Delivery unit of a Brooklyn Hospital.
