2015 is ACTCM’s 35th anniversary! Read about our history and our future in this first of a series of articles.
As we proudly look back on our successes over the last three decades, we are also inspired by the future. Our recent merger with the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) promises tremendous growth for our community, with unprecedented opportunities to serve our students and graduates.
1980 was a tumultuous year in the US – gas prices hit an all-time high of $1.38 per gallon, Ronald Regan was sworn in as President, Mt. St. Helens erupted in Washington State, and last but not least, shoulder pads were erupting everywhere.
San Francisco was maturing from its summer of love hippie status to become a leader of progressive thought driven by its diverse population. In 1980, four San Francisco acupuncturists were inspired by the growth of acupuncture in the city, and together founded one of the first Chinese medicine schools in the country. They named their new college The American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine and developed a rigorous program to train professional acupuncturists.
Over the next 35 years, ACTSM’s stellar reputation, integrity, and commitment to excellence created a foundation for hundreds of acupuncturists, including leading Chinese healthcare practitioners, teachers and policy makers. Today, the college is poised to become a key player in the transformation of the future of Chinese medicine as well.
ACTCM’s 2015 merger with CIIS has facilitated a new growth, and the college is now proud to offer a new First Professional Doctorate program (DACM) the only one in the country to be approved by a national accreditor (ACAOM) and a regional accreditor (WASC). Integral to the DACM is a commitment to providing students with a solid training in acupuncture in the context of Western healthcare settings.
Our merger with CIIS also places ACTCM at the forefront of integrating acupuncture with emotional and psychological care, as we have already begun to do through acupuncture clinics at CIIS’s Somatic Care Clinic. This clinic, and others planned for the CIIS campus in the future, give ACTCM students and graduates a depth of practitioner experience that uniquely prepares them for a career in the shifting field of healthcare.
Looking forward, another promising outgrowth of ACTCM at CIIS is a new capacity for students and faculty to engage in advanced scientific and clinical research and to collaborate with Western medical institutions. CIIS’s Human Research Review Committee will survey these studies, assuring thorough professional oversight.
These research projects will greatly enhance our faculty and students’ ability to shape the future of acupuncture and Chinese medicine, assuring that the college is on the forefront of Chinese medicine education and integral health care for another 35 years, and more.
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About American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine
American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine (ACTCM) has provided affordable, quality health care to the public and trained professionals in acupuncture, massage and Chinese medicine since 1980. In addition to its graduate curriculum, ACTCM offers continuing education, public education, community outreach and clinical services in acupuncture and herbal medicine. ACTCM has been the recipient of many awards for its curriculum, faculty and clinic, and has been voted “Best of the Bay” by both the San Francisco Weekly and the San Francisco Bay Guardian. ACTCM is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine and is a private, nonprofit, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization