Learn from the experts
Learn from the experts
The intentional organization of the DTCM/DAc Bridge Program curriculum has a natural rhythm and balance that ensures student success. The high-quality course design captures state-of-the-art development in the integration of TCM and Western biomedicine.
Students learn how the current US health care system functions so they can apply that knowledge as a part of emerging integrated health care systems and serve as members of interdisciplinary teams of practitioners. More specifically, students study how the current US health care system works and the impact of national, state and institutional policies on the system’s functioning and compare it to that of other developed nations. Students drill down into various components of the US health care system organization and how they affect access to care. These include the role of insurance, types of practitioners and their scope of practice, and the impact of the pharmaceutical industry on care. As a culminating activity, students are asked to create an effective and accessible health care system synthesizing all they have learned.
Students develop more advanced knowledge of commonly used laboratory tests and diagnostic imaging. They learn how to explain the functions of specified diagnostic tests, interpret the results from a biomedical perspective and formulate prognoses based on these test results. The most critical learning in this course is related to students recognizing the symptoms and signs that trigger the ordering of specific diagnostic tests and developing a plan to address abnormal diagnostic test results. They also identify effective ways to explain test results to patients in a comprehensible manner.
FCL 750 is one of a three course clinical experience series (FCL 850 & 950 being the other two) in which students examine their own practice through an integrative lens, have direct experience with biomedicine practitioners, and observe integrative practice in action. ACAOM, our accreditor, requires 135 hours of clinical experience over the course of the program and attendant documentation. Thus FCL 750/850/950 series provide ways of tracking experiences. Students explore their own practice and demonstrate the integrative reasoning skills they are using with current patients as well as document their current level of integration with biomedicine practitioners. They seek out direct experiences with biomedicine practitioners and determine what learnings from those interactions can be incorporated into their approach to TCM practice. As a culmination, students observe integrated clinical tutorials by veteran TCM practitioners and plan how to incorporate what have learned in their clinical practice.
The overall purposes of this course are to support DTCM Bridge students in being able to delve into clinical literature, determine the quality of research study results and apply relevant findings to improve clinical practice. Students review the various methods used in biomedical, allied health disciplines, and complementary disciplines including TCM. Students learn how to assess the overall quality of research in these areas. They then select research studies relevant to their own clinical needs and apply what they have learned to clinical practice. As a result, students improve their collaborative communication skills with biomedicine practitioners and with patients related to research findings.
Students expand their knowledge of blood chemistry into a deeper understanding of clinical scenarios an acupuncturist might encounter in practice. They examine selected body systems, learn their interconnectedness, and explore how blood chemistry findings related to these systems may present clinically. Students also have the opportunity to work with actual blood chemistry test results they are likely to encounter in their practices and determine which of these findings warrant referral to biomedicine practitioners. For each system covered, students link findings from blood chemistry lab tests to TCM patterns where appropriate and, thus, create a well-rounded integrated clinical approach with a functional medicine emphasis.
FCL 850 is one of a three course clinical experience series (FCL 750 & 950 being the other two) in which students examine their own practice through an integrative lens, have direct experience with biomedicine practitioners, and observe integrative practice in action. ACAOM, our accreditor, requires 135 hours of clinical experience over the course of the program and attendant documentation. Thus FCL 750/850/950 series provide ways of tracking experiences. Students explore their own practice and demonstrate the integrative reasoning skills they are using with current patients as well as document their current level of integration with biomedicine practitioners. They seek out direct experiences with biomedicine practitioners and determine what learnings from those interactions can be incorporated into their approach to TCM practice. As a culmination, students observe integrated clinical tutorials by veteran TCM practitioners and plan how to incorporate what have learned in their clinical practice.
One of the major aims ACAOM, the profession’s accrediting body, has established in its professional doctoral competencies is a requirement for a professional development plan for lifelong learning. This course leads students through a process of in-depth self-evaluation culminating in a Professional Development Plan (PDP) which can serve them now and into the future. The PDP undertaking requires students to refresh their knowledge of establishing S.M.A.R.T goals and realistic timelines for achieving them. As part of the PDP, students will identify ways that they can advocate for the AOM profession in the greater community.
TCM practitioners are continually thinking about how to improve their patient care and outcomes. In this course, students learn how to develop an action plan related to integration which provides a pathway to intentionally address areas of identified need or focus in their current practices. Students follow a step-by-step process that leads them from determining an area of focus to outlining a clear action plan ready for implementation. The process steps include identifying a focus area, researching the literature, gathering additional information from stakeholders, learning from experts, developing the action plan itself, and finally presenting the plan for feedback for process refinement.
FCL 950 is one of a three course clinical experience series (FCL 750 & 850 being the other two) in which students examine their own practice through an integrative lens, have direct experience with biomedicine practitioners, and observe integrative practice in action. ACAOM, our accreditor, requires 135 hours of clinical experience over the course of the program and attendant documentation. Thus FCL 750/850/950 series provide ways of tracking experiences. Students explore their own practice and demonstrate the integrative reasoning skills they are using with current patients as well as document their current level of integration with biomedicine practitioners. They seek out direct experiences with biomedicine practitioners and determine what learnings from those interactions can be incorporated into their approach to TCM practice. As a culmination, students observe integrated clinical tutorials by veteran TCM practitioners and plan how to incorporate what have learned in their clinical practice.