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The Point - Volume I, Issue 1
Welcome! by Marc Sklar
Fellow students, let me first take this opportunity to welcome the New
Fall 2002 class to PCOM. We hope that the transition for your first semester
here will be smooth. I also want to congratulate those students who are
going to be graduating this semester. I know that you all must be really
excited to begin your careers as Traditional Chinese Medical Doctors.
I would like to personally invite ALL the students to get involved with
student council, the school, and the politics of our profession.
I think it’s important to be involved in shaping the future of
our education, as well as the future of our profession at large,
and I see no better way to begin this process then to become involved
in student council. Our new Student Council hosts its first General Meeting,
Wednesday, September 18th at 5PM in the Student Lounge, (which, by the
way, we would like to thank the past Board for remodeling.) As the new
Student Council gets under way, we encourage you to share with us your
views and goals for the direction you would like to see us take. Some
of the committees that we have established so far are: Political Action,
Event Planning (Social Events and Guest Lecturers ), Vet-Acupuncture and
Curriculum/Faculty Concerns. We hope that all of you will become
involved in at least one of them.
I look forward to speaking with all of you throughout the semester and
I encourage you to give to the student council any suggestions and comments
that come to mind.
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Your Voice Does Matter by Angelica
Drum
We, as students, are the future of our medicine. We should have a voice
in how that medicine evolves, right? As our medicine progresses, it will
soon find its way to the mainstream. When that happens, we should be responsible
for some of that growth. If you have ever wanted to help shape our medicine’s
future, now is the time.
On August 10th and 11th of this year, four students represented PCOM
in the student caucus at the California State Oriental Medical Association
(CSOMA) conference in San Francisco.
Many good ideas were exchanged and new friends were made. The student
caucus unanimously decided to create a statewide student union alliance
so we could all actively participate in the direction of our future.
So the next time you have a question or suggestion for the political
direction of our medicine, you have a direct hotline to Sacramento! We
are the future of our medicine. It’s never too soon to get involved
but it could be too late!
Please ask your CSOMA Reps how to get involved: Angelica Drum or Ryan
Altman
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Veterinary Acupuncture at PCOM? by
Ryan Altman
Since the birth of acupuncture, its application on animals has been
recorded on horses, livestock and elephants. The domestication of cats
and dogs wasn’t conceived of in China until recently, and so their
treatment with TCM is only about 30 years old. However, since it is a
fledgling branch of TCM, it is obvious that our scope of practice could
be greatly expanded to include Veterinary Acupuncture if some basic laws
were amended and our education slightly extended in animal physiology
and anatomy.
Models for such studies already exist in Colorado and Maryland where
a state licensing board regulates ’Certified Veterinary Acupuncturists’
who are already L.Ac.’s that have gone through an extra tutorial
to be trained in animal acupuncture. The Veterinary Medical Board in California
currently claims jurisdiction under ‘scope of practice’ laws
which state that anyone who ‘Diagnoses or treats an animal must
be a Veterinarian or working under a veterinarian.’ Well, what’s
so bad about integrative health care? I’d love to see veterinarians
working side by side with acupuncturists!
Last term the Veterinary Acupuncture Club was founded to instigate education
and political action regarding the possibilities of Veterinary Acupuncture,
(specifically the possibilities of bringing it to PCOM!) Come down to
our next meeting for more information on what you can do to help. Love
and Light!
(Look for a two-day seminar later this term by our advisor, Robin
Tiberi on the basics of Veterinary Acupuncture.)
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