| Medical
Acupuncture for Physicians is the oldest coordinated
training program in acupuncture for physicians in North America.
The curriculum was developed and tested in 1978 and 79, and
the program was inaugurated as a 200 hour CME activity in
1980. A decade later it was accredited for 300 hours to more
accurately reflect the work involved. It is the only fully
comprehensive and integrated acupuncture training developed
for physicians.
The
program is comprehensive in that its teaching content is not
restricted to one school of acupuncture theory and practice.
The teaching approach is grounded in contemporary western
medicine and bioscience, yet addresses the full tradition
of acupuncture as derived from classical Asian texts. All
major disciplines of acupuncture that have practical clinical
value are represented in the program, from pragmatic neuroanatomical
treatments for chronic pain to elegant energetic treatments
for functional and internal medicine problems.
WHY
THIS COURSE AND NOT ONE OF THE OTHERS?
This is a question often asked by prospective Medical
Acupuncture for Physicians
participants. The most succinct answer is integrity.
The Helms Medical Institute team has been teaching for over
twenty-five years, all the time refining our curriculum and
teaching skills. We are dedicated to ensuring that every student
completing the course is competent in this new discipline,
and ready to incorporate it into practice. There is no other
course in the country that invests as much attention and energy
into each student.
Read
a couple of evaluation comments and letters from students
who have partcipated in our course as well as other programs
promoted as “comprehensive” and “balanced,”
and you’ll understand what I’m saying:
"I recently completed the HMI training course
as the most recent part of my seven-year pursuit of an acupuncture
education. My past efforts included a TCM school, independent
CME courses in a variety of acupuncture subspecialties, and
a six month course whose format seemed to be a copy of the
HMI training. The bottom line is: For any physician who desires
the opportunity to learn a very complex discipline in an amazingly
short period of time, the Helms Medical Institute Medical
Acupuncture for Physicians is your best
choice.
"It took me several years of independent study, training,
and clinical experience to attain a level of competence in
acupuncture that I felt equivalent to my allopathic skills.
During the HMI course I realized that my practice of acupuncture
was finally focused, efficient, and effective. Also, I was
impressed that the other doctors finishing the HMI course
successfully attained the knowledge and skill that enabled
them to be comfortable starting to practice a very sophisticated
and effective acupuncture.
"The academic framework of the Medical
Acupuncture for Physicians course allowed me to understand
and organize the intricacies and details of acupuncture without
the frustration and confusion that I experienced in the other
programs. That confusion lingered -- even after I finished
the competing six month course -- until the HMI program, when
I finally felt comfortable diagnosing and treating patients
in a logical and consistent manner. I wish I had taken this
course first."
Tom Ritchie, MD, Scottsdale, Arizona.
"I have attended other courses in acupuncture,
and only the HMI training gets a five-star ranking. It is
very well organized, and complex materials are condensed into
straightforward teaching that is easy for the brain to ingest
and digest. The preceptors are outstanding. They guide you
every step of the way in the learning process, and they never
make you feel that you won’t be a good acupuncturist
by the end of the course. I wish I had taken this course earlier!
Ernesto Uy, MD, Lakeland, Florida.
PROGRAM
ORGANIZATION
The teaching material and style are
integrated to allow the student to receive greatest benefit
from the different modalities employed. The information in
the teaching is complex, yet it presented in an understandable
and digestible style. Teaching starts from the biomedical
foundation familiar to all physicians, and progressively incorporates
tenets from the classical texts. Each step in learning is
anchored to pragmatic applications and realistic clinical
situations. The lecturing, live and on home study videos,
follows the same format of progressive layering of information,
constantly integrating the new information into the student's
existing knowledge matrix.
Different
media are used to reinforce the learning process: live and
videorecorded lectures, textbook and printed syllabus, clinical
demonstrations, and hands-on experience. The teachers are
trained and qualified through the Helms Medical Institute.
They have demonstrated that they posses a solid knowledge
of their material, a consistent competence in their clinical
skills, and a teaching style conducive to optimum learning
during the time available. No other program has teaching expertise
or course organization as refined as Medical
Acupuncture for Physicians.
The
course is compact and dense. It respects the participant's
dedication to learning the new discipline in the context of
a busy professional schedule. Time is not wasted teaching
what will not be clinically useful, yet the creation of a
sophisticated theoretical foundation is not compromised. The
small groups at the clinical sessions have a preceptor-to-student
ratio of 1:3 to 1:6. Such exposure provides generous attention
to each student's learning needs. And, because we enjoy teaching,
we all have fun in the learning process.
Medical
Acupuncture for Physicians is a basic course. It is typically
the first serious exposure the student has to acupuncture.
Its scope, depth, and organization, however, provide participants
with the comprehensive training they need to practice good
acupuncture. For participants with ambition to learn more
in acupuncture, the course provides the firm foundation on
which to develop skills in specialty applications or microsystems.
It is, simply and modestly stated, the best course on the
continent.
Joseph M. Helms, M.D.
Course Chairman
About Dr. Helms |
