By Lisa Weber, CHC, Student in the Master’s Program at Emperor’s College

Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency room physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, a clinical fellow at Harvard Medical School and author of When Doctor’s Don’t Listen: How to Avoid Misdiagnoses and Unnecessary Tests, recently took time out of her book tour to visit Emperors College and share her vision for what Western medicine can do to improve patient care, and what patients can do to ensure they get the most from their doctor.

Lisa Weber, CHC

Though a traditionally-trained MD, Dr. Wen’s advocacy for deepening patient-practitioner communication hits at the heart of Oriental medicine, and sheds light on the movement within Western medicine to refocus on the whole person, not merely the collection of a patient’s symptoms and diagnoses. Dr. Wen even draws inspiration from traditional Chinese medicine which further excites us and demonstrates Western medicine’s growing interest in collaborating with other healthcare providers for the betterment of patient outcomes.

Lisa Weber, first-year student of the master’s of traditional Oriental medicine at Emperor’s College, read When Doctor’s Don’t Listen and attended Dr. Wen’s presentation at Emperor’s College. She shares her insights from both below. Read more

A version of this article was initially published on Dr. Leana Wen’s blog The Doctor Is Listening.

**Meet Dr. Leana Wen at Emperor’s College on Tuesday, March 5th, 12:30 – 1:30pm in Room E/F. To RSVP click here.**

By Leana Wen, M.D.

As a child growing up in China, I was always aware of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). TCM is what we refer to as Eastern medicine, in contrast to the Western medicine we know from U.S. hospitals. I never understood much about TCM, only that it somehow involves herbs and that many Chinese people used it. The more I progressed in my medical training in major U.S. academic centers, the more distanced I felt from TCM. Why should I learn about something that lacks evidence, when there’s so much to know about for which there is good research?

Last fall, I went to China on a research trip. While my study is primarily on its Western medical system, I was so fascinated by what I learned of Eastern medicine that I spent many free evenings observing TCM practitioners. There is so much I didn’t know. As a discipline, TCM is far too complex for me to understand in my short observation, but there are some very important “lessons from the East” that are applicable to our Western medical practice: Read more

In order to start your career as an acupuncture and Oriental medicine practitioner, you must acquire licensure. Most US states that license acupuncturists require certification by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM).

Only graduates of acupuncture schools accredited (or in the process of becoming accredited) by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM) can take the national certification exams offered by NCCAOM.

Some states like California and Nevada have specific licensing requirements for acupuncturists, and graduates need to pass the relevant state board exams in order to be able to practice in these states. Recent graduate Anita Lanier, who received her master’s degree in acupuncture and Oriental medicine from Emperor’s College in Santa Monica, California, sat for three licensing exams – the national certification exam, the California acupuncture boards, and the Nevada state boards – and she passed all of them.

In this blog post Lanier shares the secret to her success and why she decided to start her acupuncture career in Nevada. Read more

Interview with Jorga Houy, LAc, Emperor’s College Alumnus and Owner of LA Sports Acupuncture

Emperor’s College master’s program alumnus Jorga Houy, LAc, is founder and owner of LA Sports Acupuncture. In his private practice, located in Atwater Village, California, Houy uses acupuncture and Oriental medicine to treat and prevent all sorts of sports injuries, including pain management. He also serves as the official acupuncturist of the LA Derby Dolls, the Los Angeles roller derby team. Read more