The Toaster Tour Interviews
Dear AOM School Presidents, Industry Leaders, and Acupuncture Friends:
Toaster of Truth
We would like to interview you on the topic of employment for acupuncturists, on the group blog of the Community Acupuncture Network.
We have been blogging about jobs for acupuncturists for the past 6 months or so, and the conversation has reached a point where we feel it’s important to include the perspectives of people in positions of authority, leadership, or influence in the acupuncture profession. Many of our blog posts approach the issue of jobs from a humorous perspective, but please know that we are very, very serious about the subject and about the need to have a public conversation. Our blog receives over 18,000 visits each month, with over 77,000 page views, so the conversation will include a lot of acupuncturists.
We are sending five questions, which you will find below, to a hundred or so people whose responses we are particularly interested in hearing. You are welcome to respond by email, in which case we will post your responses to the questions in an individual blog post. At that point, if you would like to engage with our readers via the comments, you are welcome to do so; if you don’t have time for this kind of conversation, please just let us know, and we will make a note at the end of the post that you will not be available to respond to comments. Your response is valued regardless. If you would like to answer the questions through an in-person interview, we will try to provide a local contact or at least arrange a phone conversation.
Before reading the questions, you might find it helpful to read the previous blog posts on this theme (which will also explain why toasters are involved):
https://www.communityacupuncturenetwork.org/blog/jobs-post-1-4-rs
https://www.communityacupuncturenetwork.org/blog/toaster-time
https://www.communityacupuncturenetwork.org/blog/jobs-post-3-toaster-tour
Our main focus is on the fact that according to the 2008 NCCAOM Job Task Analysis, only 9% of acupuncturists have actual jobs; the rest are self-employed. 60% of those work less than 30 hours a week, though a majority would prefer to work full time. Of that 60%, almost half make less than $20K annually — gross, not net — from their AOM activities. If there are indeed virtually no real jobs for acupuncturists, and if a large proportion of self-employed acupuncturists can expect to earn virtually nothing, it is vitally important that that information be widely available. And so we are making a concerted effort to track down and document the existence of real jobs for acupuncturists.
Here are the questions:
strong>1) Looking at the recent NCCAOM Job Task Analysis, why do you think there are so few jobs for acupuncturists? What do you think that says about the acupuncture profession?
strong>2) What jobs for acupuncturists do you know of that fit the criteria of The Toaster Tour — real, relevant, and replicable? (See this blog post for an explanation of the criteria: https://www.communityacupuncturenetwork.org/blog/jobs-post-1-4-rs ) Please list the jobs, including the nature of the funding stream that supports them if you know it. We will try to independently verify them, of course; any contact information you have is greatly appreciated.
strong>3) Who do you think is the largest employer of L.Acs in the U.S.? How many jobs does the largest employer provide?
strong>4) In your opinion, what groundwork needs to be done in order for more acupuncturists to have real jobs? Who is responsible for doing that groundwork?
strong>5) The availability of jobs for acupuncturists is a pressing concern because students are now graduating with so much Title IV debt that it is impossible for many of them to start their own businesses, which means more and more graduates are never able to practice acupuncture at all. What do you think is the solution to this problem? And who is responsible for addressing it?
Thank you for your time. Your response is very important to us.
Sincerely,
Jessica Feltz, Board President, Community Acupuncture Network
Lisa Rohleder, Board Member, Community Acupuncture Network
Emailed to:
AAAOM
Academy for 5 Element Acupuncture
Academy of Chinese Culture & Health Sciences
ACAOM
Acupuncture & Massage College
Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine Association of Minnesota (AOMAM)
Acupuncture and Oriental Medical Association of New Mexico (AOMANM)
Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Society of Massachusetts (AOMSM)
Acupuncture Association of Colorado (AAC)
Acupuncture Association of Kansas
Acupuncture Association of Missouri
Acupuncture Association of Rhode Island
Acupuncture Society of New York (ASNY)
Acupuncture Society of Virginia
Acupuncture Society of Virginia (ASVA)
Acupuncture Society of Washington DC
Acupuncture Society of Washington, D.C. (ASDC)
AIMC-Berkeley
Al Stone
Alabama Association of Oriental Medicine
Alex Tatevian
American Academy of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine
American College of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine
American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine
American Institute of Alternative Medicine
Annette Mallory Donowa
AOMA Graduate School of Integrative Medicine
Arizona School of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine
Arizona Society of Oriental Medicine and Acupuncture (AZSOMA)
Arkansas Association of Oriental Medicine
Asian Institute of Medical Studies
Association for Professional Acupuncture in Pennsylvania
Atlantic Institute of Oriental Medicine
Bastyr University
Benjamin Dierauf
Bill Mosca
Bob Duggan
Bob Flaws
Bryn Clark
California State Oriental Medical Association (CSOMA)
Carla Wilson
Catherine Niemic
CCCAOM
Cheryl Kim
Chris Powell
College of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine at Northwestern Sciences University
Colorado School of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Connecticut Society of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (CSAOM)
Council of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Regulatory Agencies (CAOMRA)
Craig Twentyman
Cynthia O’Donnell
Daoist Traditions College of Chinese Medical Arts
David Bock
David Sale
Deborah Lincoln
Deneb Falabella
Dianne Connelly
Dongguk University Los Angeles
Dragon Rises College of Oriental Medicine
East West College of Natural Medicine
Eastern School of Acupuncture & Traditional Medicine
Elaine Wolf Kamorrow
Emperor’s College of Traditional Oriental Medicine
Erin Baldt
Finger Lakes School of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine of NYCC
Five Branches University: Graduate School of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Florida College of Integrative Medicine
Florida State Oriental Medicine Association (FSOMA)
Frank Vitale
Georgia State Oriental Medicine Association (GSOMA)
Ginna Browning
Hawaii OM & Acupuncture Association
Heather Sloan
Honora Wolfe
Hudson Doyle
Idaho Acupuncture Association
Illinois Association of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine (ILAAOM)
Indiana Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (IAAOM)
Institute of Clinical Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine
Institute of Taost Education and Acupuncture
James Shinol
Jared West
Jason Bussell
Jason Stein
Jeannie Kang
Jeff Millison
Jennifer Meader-Stone
Jennifer Stone
Jerusha De Groote Stephens
John Paul Liang
John Pirog
John Weeks
Jung Tao School of Classical Chinese Medicine
Karen Young
Kelly Sandberg
Kentucky State Acupuncture Association
Kiki Colgan
Kory Ward-Cook
Kris LaPoint
Lorry Davis
Lynn Almloff
Marilyn Allen
Mark Seem
Maryland Acupuncture Society
Matt Bauer
Michael Jabbour
Michael Taromina
Michigan Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (MAAOM)
Michigan Medical Acupuncture Association
Midwest College of Oriental Medicine
Mimi Tagher
Mina Larson
Mississippi Oriental Medicine Association (MOMA)
MN Board
Montana Association of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine
NADA
Nancy Bilello
National College of Natural Medicine
National Federation of Chinese TCM Organizations (NFCTCMO)
National University of Health Sciences
NCCAOM
Nebraska Oriental Medical Association
Nevada Oriental Medicine Association
New England School of Acupuncture
New Hampshire Association for Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine (NHAAOM)
New Jersey Acupuncture Association
New York College of Health Professions
New York College of Traditional Chinese Medicine
New York State Acupuncture Coalition, Inc. (NYSAC)
North Carolina Association for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCAAOM)
NY State Acupuncture Coalition
Ohio Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (OAAOM)
Oklahoma Acupuncture Association (OKAA)
Oregon College of Oriental Medicine (OCOM)
Pacific College of Oriental Medicine — CA & IL
Pacific College of Oriental Medicine — NY
Phoenix Institute of Herbal Medicine and Acupuncture
Regina Walsh
Rhode Island Society of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
Richard Freiberg
Richard Niemtzow
Rosa Schnyer
Samra University of Oriental Medicine
Seattle Institute of Oriental Medicine
Sheila Messerschmidt
Skya Abbate
South Baylo University
South Dakota Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Association (SDAOMA)
Southern California University
Southern California University of Health Sciences
Southwest Acupuncture College — Albuquerque
Southwest Acupuncture College — CO
Southwest Acupuncture College — Santa Fe
Steve Schram
Steven Mavros
Steven Stumpf
Swedish Institute: School of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine
Tai Sophia
Tennessee Acupuncture Council
Texas Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (TAAOM)
Texas College of Traditional Chinese Medicine
The Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine Association of Alaska
The Connecticut Holistic Health Association (CHHA)
The Maine Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (MAAOM)
Tim Chapman
Tracy Soltesz
Tri-State College of Acupuncture
United California Practitioners of Chinese Medicine
United California Practitioners of Chinese Medicine (UCPCM)
University of Bridgeport Acupuncture Institute
University of East-West Medicine
Utah Acupuncture Association
Valerie Hobbs
Vermont Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (VAAOM)
Washington Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Association (WAOMA)
Washington State Acupuncture Association
Will Morris
William Goding
Wisconsin Society of Certified Acupuncturists, Inc. (WISCA)
Won Institute of Graduate Studies
World Medicine Institute
Wu Hsing Tao School
Yo San University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Yvonne van Eijk
Zev Myerowitz
Z’ev Rosenberg
Author: Jessica Feltz
<p> I learned about Community Acupuncture while studying at the Midwest College of Oriental Medicine (MCOM) in the Spring of 2006 when Lisa Rohleder's first article about her clinic appeared in Acupuncture Today. Coming from a middle-class background myself, I was the only student in my acupuncture class to have not experienced the healing benefits of this medicine prior to beginning studies at MCOM. I couldn't afford it. And my family couldn't understand what I was doing by investing in an education that they didn't perceive to be financially sustainable. </p> <p> The Community Acupuncture model is a perfect fit for me, balancing social justice and taoist simplicity with the patient's innate ability to heal him/herself (with a few gentle nudges from strategically placed needles). I am grateful every day to have found CAN and the love it brings into my life. I want to share that joy by spreading the message about how we can create a new health care experience in our communities through each of our very small efforts...and how those very small efforts can in turn change the world. </p> I enjoy my two sons, my 4 cats, and big stacks of books. I own and operate...
This guy should be easy to reach!
http://www.nwhealth.edu/natcare/bios/mckenzie.html
“Hecurrently serves as a Commissioner on the AccreditationCommission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicineas well as serving on the NCCAOM Job Task Forceand the AAAOM Herbal Medicine Committee TaskForce. Hecontinues to be active with the CCAOM after stepping off the Executive Committee,most recently as Vice-President of the Council.”
i’d love to hear what he’d say, and there are tons of CAPs nearby, many of them graduated from his program at NWHSU… the one i dropped out of…
Actually:
as I found with quite a number of administrator-acupuncturists, tracking an email address for somebody who has no website for their acupuncture practice is quite difficult. It also begs the question: do they not have websites for their practices because they do not in fact have practices? Is their sole source of income as an acupuncturist derived from pushing papers insteasd of poking needles??
(Fortunately, he has a Facebook account. I PM’d it to him, Macey.)
Niiice.
Your resourcefulness is admirable. I’ve never seen the guy hold a needle, so maybe he knows what scam he’s allegedly perpetrating upon the students all too well…
Good work!
Very interesting! Thank you all. You need to include Pat Culliton on yr list – she was one of the 1st acup in the country hired (Hennepin Co. Hospital, Minneapolis), & has hired 50 (??) over the years, at first most in detox work, now clinic work (granted its been downsizing). My pc is overheated, like the rest of us in the midwest, so will send her email & Mark McKenzie’s manana. Go Toaster Go!
Deah Kinion, L. Ac.
(507) 990-3299http://www.abundant-chi.comhttp://www.zumbrovalleyacupuncture.com
having websites
Just a comment about the website, ot lack thereof, issue. My first thought is it has nothing to do with whether or not they do have practices.
I started practicing in the late eighties and just got around to creating a website last year. Long overdue, I admit.
We may not have websites for any of these reasons: 1. We have decent word-of-mouth practices and don’t think we need one. 2. We are a little techn-phobic about computer stuff. 3. It’s just another thing to do. 4. We balance the cost of a website vs what we think it will do for us and don’t bother. 5. We just never get around to it. In my case it was #1 & #5.
As DIY websites become easier through venues like wordpress and Content5, and templates are more available through these and independant template companies, we’ll see more and more acupuncturists’ websites popping up.
While there are those who don’t have a website because they don’t really practice, there are plenty of others who DO have websites but don’t practice much or aren’t licensed. The quality of the website doesn’t necessarily speak to the quality of the practitioner – although in my case I hope it does, of course 🙂
(www.mysticriveracupuncture.com, in case anyone’s interested.)