A journey of 1,000,000 miles begins with a single step.
As of Saturday March 22, 2019, I completed my Doctorate in Traditional Chinese Medicine, the pinnacle of achievement for an American practitioner of Eastern Medicine. Many believe that completing a doctorate equals crossing the proverbial “finish line” in education, but my journey continues.
Around the same time, I applied for the Clinical Doctorate program, I had an opportunity to apply for the Ph.D. program at the University of Shanghai. I was accepted by Dr. Cheng Xiao-Dong into the Integrative Medicine department, so it is with great honor that I continue my medical education in Shanghai. You may be asking yourself, “Why?” As mentioned in my prior post, my grandmother’s inspiration continues to push me into uncharted territory.
I believe that in order to effectuate change in our current healthcare system, there needs to be scholarly research and clinical trials in order to demonstrate the efficacy and value of Eastern Medicine. In order to achieve this goal, it is essential that Western Medicine practitioners have comparative studies conducted using traditional Eastern Medicine modalities. Studies conducted in this manner will encourage the West to take a closer look at incorporating Eastern Medicine into the healthcare system. We all want the same thing—improved patient health—we just take different approaches.
I have always been a hands-on learner, so I came up with a feasibility study to examine the use of acupuncture in reducing the size and symptoms of uterine fibroids. Using this hypothesis for my Doctoral research, I conducted my own clinical trial through Eastern Acupuncture and Wellness. Now, with the help and guidance of my Teacher, we will continue this promising research at University.
I leave you with a quote that a colleague and friend recently said to me, “Your soul already knows what it came here to do, don’t let your mind get in the way.”
