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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 participated 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 video recorded 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
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