MERGING EAST & WEST. The Oregon College of Oriental Medicine has been accredited to provide master’s of science degrees since 1989, and in 2005 became the first accredited college in the nation to graduate doctors of acupuncture and oriental medicine. (Photo courtesy of the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine)

From The Asian Reporter, V18, #23 (June 10, 2008), page 9 & 11.

By Ian Blazina

The Oregon College of Oriental Medicine (OCOM) has been working at the intersection of Eastern and Western medicines since its inception in 1983. The nonprofit educational institution offers master’s- and doctoral-level training for acupuncture and Oriental medicine practitioners and access to acupuncture, herbal therapy, and massage treatments to community members. The school also provides a forum for visiting lecturers, hosts popular education seminars, and sends interns to provide care throughout Portland.

The school has been accredited to provide master’s of science degrees since 1989, and in 2005 became the first accredited college in the nation to graduate doctors of acupuncture and oriental medicine. Students receive instruction in acupuncture, Oriental medicine, and therapeutic massage as well as Western medical approaches and related areas of public and community health, research methodology, practice management, and practitioner-patient dynamics.

OCOM has approximately 40 core and adjunct faculty members training more than 250 students, as well as many guest speakers. The school has graduated more than 750 students, who are practicing in 37 U.S. States in addition to Korea, Canada, Israel, and The Netherlands.

OCOM’s on-campus clinic and many external clinics serve more than 28,000 patients annually, providing individual or group acupuncture treatments by interns or faculty members, moxibustion (the burning of mugwort over a patient’s skin), Chinese herb compounding, and Japanese shiatsu and Chinese tuina massage. Interns are closely supervised, with one faculty overseer for every four student interns.

In addition to the Acupuncture & Herbal Clinic on the southeast Portland campus, OCOM sends faculty and interns to Central City Concern’s Old Town Recovery Center, the Hooper Detoxification Center, the Outside In Clinic, the Hollywood Senior Center, the Family Medicine Clinic at Oregon Health & Science University’s (OHSU) South Waterfront campus, OHSU’s Richmond Clinic, the Starfire Family Clinic, and the Quest Center for Integrative Health.

The school holds frequent Saturday seminars where prospective patients or interested community members can learn about OCOM’s offerings and sample a few available services. An upcoming seminar on June 14 will discuss what foods can be most beneficial to health during the summertime. Visitors can also taste two teas that help people keep cool in hot weather. The event begins at 10:00am and ends at noon.

OCOM will also host an open house on June 26 from 4:00 to 7:00pm. Attendees can experience a free acupuncture demonstration, sample Chinese medicinal foods and herbal teas, learn about the services offered at the school, and talk with admissions representatives about the programs.

The Oregon College of Oriental Medicine is located at 10525 S.E. Cherry Blossom Drive in Portland. To learn more, call (503) 253-3443 or visit <www.ocom.edu>.