The mission of the Master of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine program is: to draw upon ancient wisdom, the gifts of nature, and science to educate and develop highly skillful and compassionate practitioners who offer acupuncture as a catalyst for healing and wellness, as well as increased self-awareness and personal transformation. This mission serves the evolution of acupuncture and Oriental medicine and its integration into the wider field of health care by advancing new paradigms of healing and wellness.

Tai Sophia Institute's proposed Master of Oriental Medicine program is unique in its integration of five-element constitutional perspectives, classical Chinese Medicine, Eight Principle diagnosis, and Zang-Fu differentiation.

Educational Objectives:

1. Be able to serve the patient at all levels of being

• Be able to assess the patient broadly and accurately by gathering phenomena about the patient that will aid in treatment.
  • Discern movement of qi - its presence, absence, and quality - both in the patient and in themselves in the presence of the patient.
  • Discern phenomena in a patient, and how the phenomena change in the moment and hroughout the course of treatment. Phenomena include, for example, color, sound, odor, emotion, pulses, and information gathered through palpation.
  • Question the patient, and put his or her report of symptoms in the context of the above phenomena.
• Be able to treat and educate effectively.
  • Based on knowledge of the Tao, yin/yang, the movement of qi, the four directions, the five elements, the twelve officials, and Chinese theoretical paradigms, herbal material medica, and medical classics, devise short and long-term treatment plans that integrate the obscured phenomena.
  • Affect the flow of qi through the use of acupuncture needles moxa, and classical herbal formulas.
  • Bring awareness to the patient of the connection between his or her symptoms and habitual patterns of behavior and language - patterns reflecting the patient's perception of reality.
  • Embody the gifts and strengths of the seasons for patients, and integrate the lessons of nature into a treatment plan that supports the patient's movement through life.
  • v. Achieve and maintain rapport with patients; practice with compassion and powerful listening.
  • Apply acupuncture-based treatment for substance abuse and recovery, and utilize skills in public health and substance abuse recovery settings.

2. Be able to practice safely.

• Know the appropriate use of point As well Chinese herbs and formulas
• Identify points accurately, needle safely and with sensitivity, safely recommend herbs with a knowledge of contraindications and pharmacognancy, use moxa correctly, and touch with full awareness
• Have a basic understanding of warning signs of serious medical conditions, and know when to make a referral to or call for medical assistance.
• Identify situations where a referral to other therapies may be appropriate and useful.
• Apply clean needle technique in all needling treatments.

3. Possess knowledge of the history of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine and the theory of different traditions of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.

• Possess a comprehensive level of knowledge of the Taoist teachings of oneness, and the historical and fundamental importance of this concept in the practice of acupuncture.
• Possess a comprehensive level of knowledge of the five element and their applications.
• Possess an introductory level of knowledge of the eight principles used to discern patterns of disharmony in the Zang Fu organs, and the methods of eight-principle pulse and tongue diagnosis.
• Possess an introductory level knowledge of the Chinese Medical classics (Nei Jing and Nan Jing, etc.), and Chinese medical history.
• Possess an introductory level knowledge of the deep and secondary channels, their pathologies, and possible treatment strategies.
• Possess a survey level knowledge of other traditions of acupuncture practice, such as Japanese Meridian, Toyohari, Scalp, and Korean Hand Acupuncture.
• Possess a working knowledge of the Chinese herbal material medica and the most commonly used formulas;
• Possess a theoretical framework to be able to able to analyze medicinal substances (herb, mineral, animal product);
• Possess a theoretical framework that enables them to analyze any medical condition and provide a differential diagnosis;
• Possess an understanding of the healing/therapeutic properties of both individual Chinese herbs and classical herbal formulas.
• Identify individual herbs based on sensory inspection.
• Construct an herbal formula based on traditional principles.
• Modify a formula to respond to the patient's changing condition.
• Ability to order and prepare a formula of loose herbs or to recommend prepared herbal patent remedies.
• Ability to look at a formula of individual herbs and understand what type of patient would benefit from that formula.
• Ability to analyze a biomedically defined illness in Chinese terms, and provide a differential herbal response.

4. Be able to establish and maintain a practice.

• Know, and be able to apply, practice building and outreach skills.
• Know how to set up an office, manage patient files, handle basic business procedures (paying taxes, handling insurance, etc.).
• Know federal laws and regulations (e.g. HIPAA), and be aware of the necessity of following the laws and regulations regarding acupuncture and Chinese Herbs of the state in which one will practice.
• Know ethical responsibilities related to patient care, and demonstrate the ability to act ethically at all times.

5. Be able to grow personally and professionally.

• Observe oneself: assess and change one's responses to external and internal stimuli in order to have the greatest potential for growth, maturation, harvest, inspiration, and wisdom.
• Exhibit a willingness to be a learner: ask for help when needed, listen receptively, be open to receiving coaching.
• Hold oneself accountable for one's actions.
• Use critical thinking as an aid to incorporating new ideas, theories, and methods into one's practice.
• Build partnerships with patients, teachers, healthcare practitioners, and others.
• Consciously and intentionally bring forth the appropriate mood, emotion, or disposition in oneself.
• Be an active participant and independent learner in the field of acupuncture and Oriental medicine through writing, research, public speaking, professional affiliation, and/or continuing education. One of the founding principles of the Tai Sophia Institute is to train students to become independent, lifelong learners. This is accomplished, in part, by focusing on embodied/experiential learning in addition to didactic learning. A large proportion of the curriculum for the proposed MOM is focused on fostering the student's own personal experiential work in creating and administering diagnosis and treatment protocols. Throughout the program, not just in the clinic, students develop the ability to utilize the Four Inspections of Chinese Medicine to diagnose and create appropriate treatments from an experiential standpoint. When combined with the students' didactic training in acupuncture and Oriental medical theory, what results is a strengthening of their ability as a practitioner.

Program Outcomes

Students who complete this program will:

I. Demonstrate the knowledge and competencies necessary to treat and educate effectively.

• Be able to work in private practice, integrative practice, hospitals, and community clinics as clinicians, educators, writers, and coaches.
• Apply acupuncture-based treatment for substance abuse and recovery, and utilize skills in public health and substance abuse recovery settings.
• Be able to communicate and interact effectively with other medical professionals

II. Demonstrate the skills and understanding needed to empower clients toward better health and wellbeing

• Bring awareness to the patient of the connection between his or her symptoms and habitual patterns of behavior and language — patterns reflecting the patient's perception of reality.
• Achieve and maintain rapport with patients; practice with compassion and powerful listening.
• Be able to cultivate a "Healing Presence" in client interactions.

III. Practice safely.

• Know the appropriate use of point as well Chinese herbs and formulas
• Have a basic understanding of warning signs of serious medical conditions, and know when to make a referral to or call for medical assistance.
• Identify situations where a referral to other therapies may be appropriate and useful.
• Apply clean needle technique in all needling treatments.

IV. Demonstrate an integrated knowledge of the history of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine and the theory of different traditions of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.

• Possess a comprehensive level of knowledge of the Taoist teachings of oneness, and the historical and fundamental importance of this concept in the practice of acupuncture.
• Possess a comprehensive level of knowledge of the five element and their applications.
• Possess an introductory level of knowledge of the eight principles used to discern patterns of disharmony in the Zang Fu organs, and the methods of eight-principle pulse and tongue diagnosis.
• Possess an introductory level knowledge of the Chinese Medical classics (Nei Jing and Nan Jing, etc.), and Chinese medical history.
• Possess an introductory level knowledge of the deep and secondary channels, their pathologies, and possible treatment strategies.
• Possess a survey level knowledge of other traditions of acupuncture practice, such as Japanese Meridian, Toyohari, Scalp, and Korean Hand Acupuncture.
• Possess a working knowledge of the Chinese herbal material medica and the most commonly used formulas;
• Possess a theoretical framework to be able to able to analyze medicinal substances (herb, mineral, animal product);
• Possess a theoretical framework that enables them to analyze any medical condition and provide a differential diagnosis;
• Possess an understanding of the healing/therapeutic properties of both individual Chinese herbs and classical herbal formulas.
• Identify individual herbs based on sensory inspection.
• Construct an herbal formula based on traditional principles.
• Modify a formula to respond to the patient's changing condition.
• Ability to order and prepare a formula of loose herbs or to recommend prepared herbal patent remedies.
• Ability to look at a formula of individual herbs and understand what type of patient would benefit from that formula.
• Ability to analyze a biomedically defined illness in Chinese terms, and provide a differential herbal response.

V. Establish and maintain a practice

• Know, and be able to apply, practice building and outreach skills.
• Know how to set up an office, manage patient files, handle basic business procedures (paying taxes, handling insurance, etc.).
• Know federal laws and regulations (e.g. HIPAA), and be aware of the necessity of following the laws and regulations regarding acupuncture and Chinese Herbs of the state in which one will practice.
• Know ethical responsibilities related to patient care, and demonstrate the ability to act ethically at all times.

VI. Grow personally and professionally.

• Observe oneself: assess and change one's responses to external and internal stimuli in order to have the greatest potential for growth, maturation, harvest, inspiration, and wisdom.
• Exhibit a willingness to be a learner: ask for help when needed, listen receptively, be open to receiving coaching.
• Hold oneself accountable for one's actions.
• Use critical thinking as an aid to incorporating new ideas, theories, and methods into one's practice.
• Build partnerships with patients, teachers, healthcare practitioners, and others.
• Consciously and intentionally bring forth the appropriate mood, emotion, or disposition in oneself.
• Be an active participant and independent learner in the field of acupuncture and Oriental medicine through writing, research, public speaking, professional affiliation, and/or continuing education.