1, We don’t cover the same volume of material as 3 year courses do. In fact many courses are so loaded with content now that students feel overwhelmed and sometimes distracted from what they really need to know. Take for example point location (the ability to locate acupuncture points accurately on the body). Where typically a college will teach over 200 points we get started with a basic 50-60, these are the ones people actually use most of the time. There is always time to learn more later once you have mastered the basics.
Universities and accreditation boards insist that most acupuncture colleges include a lot of Western medicine study in their courses. This can take up to 25% of the course time and although worthwhile it is not essential for effective and safe practice in our view. After all acupuncture is supposed to be an alternative medicine. So we do not study western medicine in detail we learn what the law says, how to recognise safety issues and when to refer a patient or not to treat. Actually we have found that most of our students already have some background knowledge of western theory and anatomy.
We study acupuncture theory (both 5 Element and TCM styles) that is genuinely and directly relevant to acupuncture practice and we leave out all the stuff that is irrelevant like herbal medicine theory. Of course there is nothing to prevent you doing extra study and we encourage it. But our focus is on teaching what you actually need to know in order to start an effective, safe and successful practice 6 months from now.
2, We work with smaller groups building a much more efficient and personal teaching relationship with our students. This facilitates more focussed, structured and dynamic learning. No day with us is just a boring lecture on one subject for the whole day. We understand the value of progressive teaching dynamics and a diversity of teaching styles. We teach practical techniques and theory together right from the first day. This method also builds a sense of community and support into the learning group and we encourage students' to work together between classes. We don't schedule practitioner development into our course as if it were a separate subject because it is inherent within the course.
3, We don’t waste time with bureaucracy, research projects, cramming for exams or a top down syllabus set by an academic institution. We do set home study and regular mini tests to monitor, assess and improve student’s progress, but we do not set written assignments or exams. This course was created by acupuncturists and it teaches you how to become an acupuncturist in a practical way.
Everybody agrees that you really learn to drive after you have passed your driving test. Acupuncturists agree that you really learn to be an acupuncturist once you start treating patients and that from then on you never stop learning. We aim to get you to that point of competence so that you can start working and honing your skills quickly. This is an alternative way of training it is not necessarily the case that just because things have always been done in a certain way they should forever continue to be that way. Many professions are now reducing the study time and developing effective ways of getting people into work more quickly where the real experience is gained and skills developed.
Having said all this it is still true that you will do less clinical and teaching time with us than you would do on a 3 year course and you will not get a university degree. But it is important to remember that CPD* and support will always be available after you graduate and that you can contact us if you need help at any time as well as attending additional training days if you wish. We are not suggesting that our graduates will have the same amount of theoretical knowledge as someone who has done a 3 year course. But we are saying that they will have a good level of competence to treat safely and effectively and that they will be able to obtain insurance. Further to that we think that two and a half years later........ with lots of hands on practice and having done regular CPD. They are actually likely to feel more competent than a student who is just graduating. During those two and a half years they will have been earning a living as a practitioner as well.
*Continuing Professional Development.
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