by Bob Flaws

Last week I spent several days at the New England School of Acupuncture (NESA) and the Finger Lakes School of Acupuncture/Oriental Medicine affiliated with New York Chiropractic College (NYCC) and it was very heartening to see all the Millenials enrolled in both schools (with some Gen-X tail-enders as well). Several years ago I was concerned that this medicine might be a one-generation phenomenon in the West, dying with the last of the Baby Boomers. However, seeing all the young faces at both these schools gives me hope for an on-going future for Chinese medicine in N.America. My guess is that it is still the Baby Boomers who make the most use of acupuncture and Chinese medicine in the West. Now the challenge will be for the Millenials to figure out how to structure their practices so that their peers can afford this medicine.

...

As I have written before, I'm not sure the boutique sort of high-end, fee-for-service practice that my generation has ultimately evolved into is a good model for young practitioners just entering our profession. Instead, I think the so-called community-based or working class acupuncture model would be their best bet at surviving, and even thriving, in this economic climate and with a younger, less well heeled group of potential patients. In any case, I do have two pieces of advice I would like to give to this younger generation based on my now more than 30 years experience in this field.

First, do not try to be all things to all people. Find a specialty, get really good at that specialty, and then stick to it. Specializing is a great way to get really good really fast at the treatment of a limited group of diseases. Success breeds success. If you can confidently treat a limited group of conditions with an 80 percent or better amelioration rate, word of mouth will travel quickly that you are the go-to practitioner for those conditions. Specialization will also help differentiate you in your advertising (as in The Yellow Pages). However, when I say specialize, I don't mean "specializing" in a dozen or more unrelated conditions the way all too many L.Ac.s do. If you're a CM gynecologist, then only see women. If you're a CM pediatrician, then just see kids. If you're a CM andrologist, endocrinologist, rheumatic disease, or allergies and autoimmune disease specialist, then really just see patients with those conditions. In my experience, you don't need to worry about there not being enough patients with only the limited conditions within your specialty. If you really get good at your specialty, people will come from far and wide for your deservedly well-known services.

Here in Boulder, CO, one of our most successful Acupuncture/OM clinics is the Boulder Acupuncture Pain Clinic run by Yun-tao Ma. Dr. Ma moved to Boulder when there were already 75 or more acupuncturists trying to eke out a living here. But he quickly established his clinic and his reputation (and he has a very large, very beautiful house in the mountains). As soon as anyone reads the name of his clinic, they know exactly what it's all about. Dr. Ma treats all kinds of pain with acupuncture. Voila! That's it. So if you are in pain and you're thinking about trying acupuncture, who are you likely to call? It's simple, the Boulder Acupuncture Pain Clinic. Dr. Ma does not try to be all things to all people. He knows what he can and cannot treat, how long it's going to take, and how much it's going to cost. He knows these things based on his many years experience in treating pain with acupuncture.

Secondly, never stop studying. Your entry-level education is just the beginning of what should be a life-long process. Last week I asked my NESA students which of them were first-year. Then I raised my hand along with theirs. That's because I study Chinese medicine every single day, never taking for granted that I know enough or know what I know well enough. On the one hand, this may mean taking regular seminars and post-graduate classes. On the other, it should mean always reading about Chinese medicine, whether in book-form, journal-form, in hard-copy atoms, or on-line electrons. There is always something more on my desk to read or, sometimes more importantly, reread. Read everything you can about Chinese medicine in general and specifically in terms of your specialty. But also read everything you can about your specialty and every other kind and style of medicine. That way you really will become an expert in your field. That does not mean that you are going to practice those other styles of medicine. In fact, I sincerely hope that you do not. I hope that you stick close to CM and really, really, really get good at that, going deeper and deeper, not spreading yourself too thin. Nevertheless, it gives you credibility to know what Western medicine has to say or how chiropractors or naturopaths treat a certain condition.

In this process of life-long learning, don't forget Blue Poppy. We have some really excellent books and distance learning programs. Plus we also have the unparalleled TCMinfoline. When you want to know more about Chinese medicine, think of Blue Poppy first and you won't go wrong.

Copyright, Blue Poppy Ent., Inc., 2009. All rights reserved.