OK I am sorry, I know I promised a post on another topic, but I feel like I really need to vent my spleen (I know it's a much more appropriate title, but I loved family guy before it went down the slippery slope - but we're not here to talk about that). As a fresh graduate, all passionate and ready to begin my career, I've noticed a few things about other practitioners that really bother me and they are:
Practitioners who don't know their stuff. I am part of many TCM professional groups on facebook and I would often see practitioners asking for advice like 'what points do I needle for xx ailment/xx symptom/xx disease name'. This is not Chinese medicine anymore. This approach is one that many practitioners end up using because TCM diagnosis is such a 'tangle'.. So they go back to the simplified and familiar 'one pill for any headache' approach. 'Just needle xx and xx and presto! Headache gone, next patient. I can't speak enough against this approach, because these practitioners are not offering very much value in a treatment. You can actually pick up any acupuncture book and try all the points that have 'headaches' in their description and give yourself the treatment using acupressure and save your money... Because that's what they are doing anyway! And don't even mention herbs.. The ones that don't know their stuff will not know how to customise your formula and would often prescribe you pre-made fornulas.. Where not all the herbs will apply to your condition. Practitioners who are too full of themselves. This is often in combination with ignorance and smugness (see above). A fellow practitioner recently coined the term 'Master of the Universe', which describes them too bloody well. The scary thing is, a lot of these jerks are very loud (or well-known) in the industry and are often teachers and lecturers. I recently had a run-in with one that claimed they were not practising TCM, but 'five element acupuncture'... And then there are the ones that are downright charlatans, making up stuff for the knowledge gap that they never bothered to fill... And this can sometimes be really basic stuff that I would expect a practitioner to know. And OH MY GOD the show offs.. 'Look what I've fixed, I'm so awesome., Here are the pics' posts. Unless you are genuinely writing up a case so others can learn from it.. .Shut. Up. Keep it on your website FFS. Tight-lipped practitioners who are worried that someone 'might steal their precious family healing secrets' (yes, I said it out loud in that mocking tone as I wrote that) - yeah screw you. I'm not talking about the ones that are choosy about the character of their students, because that, I understand. This is more for the practitioners that don't want to share their knowledge because they are afraid of competition. Well guess what? There's no such thing. The world is huge.. And there are A LOT of people that need healing. Take that with you to the grave, for all the good that it's going to do for the world. You know the phrase "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, And wisdom to know the difference"..? Well I may not be able to fix jerky practitioners, I know that I can help fellow TCM practitioners who are are willing to put their stupid pride aside and admit: that they don't know. Be willing and open to learn new things so that you can their diagnosis right.. This has got to be the most essential part of TCM, as it guides treatment. Let's a have a chat. I am not going to lie and say that I can help with any case, but I still have access to my sifu (master).. Don't treat in the dark, know your stuff so you can deliver the best value for your patients. Email me, call me and if I can't help you, then let's go chat to my sifu :)
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In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), there really isn't such a thing as 'specialisation'. After all, TCM's view of health is balance. When this balance is tipped, we seek to correct this imbalance. In the end, it would be practically impossible to just focus on one part of the system, as one imbalance will tip the balance of something else.
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Other Posts
1. Why I don't specialise
2. What really grinds my gears 3. Dear patients: don't come back! 4. ♫ My Drug Dealer was a Doctor ♪ 5. Yes, I treat my pets! 6. A tribute to my friend Niels 7. AHPRA: pay up or you can't practice 8. Drugs and Chinese medicine - Marijuana 9. Chinese herbal medicine - centipede cough pills 10. Weight loss and Chinese Medicine 11. Characteristics of a Good Chinese Herbalist 12. My Background/Treatments 13. Caring for Older Dogs 14: Chinese Postpartum Care Archives |