Acupuncture is Best in Community
— Jennifer Dilts, DO, FAAMA, 2024 Symposium Co-chair
Acupuncture is best when it’s done in community. All of my favorite acupuncture memories involve groups of some sort.
The vast majority of us learned acupuncture with others. We needled one another and quizzed each other on various acupoints. Together, we gained confidence in our skills. Some of us then went on to practice acupuncture with colleagues. Until last year I worked at a large children’s hospital. I had several colleagues who also did acupuncture, and together we developed a 10-hour “basic acupuncture” course and taught it to many of our pediatrician colleagues. I loved seeing the joy on my colleagues’ faces as they learned this new skill. Plus, it’s just FUN to collaborate with others.
When I moved into private practice last year, I no longer had colleagues practicing acupuncture down the hall from me. My AAMA friends have become even more important to me. I look forward to our AAMA board meetings each month, as well as our symposium planning meetings. These are “my people.” You all know; it takes a special type of physician to learn and practice acupuncture — to truly be a healer.
In a few weeks, many of us will gather in Minneapolis for our annual AAMA Symposium. I can’t wait. These friends that I have been texting and emailing with, that I have seen in Zoom boxes, will be with me in-person. We will share ideas and experiences, and I will return home as a better physician acupuncturist, with new ways to help my patients. We will also just laugh a lot over dinners and in between workshops. And, I look forward to meeting new colleagues and hearing their stories. From managing menopause symptoms to optimizing billing to hearing the latest in acupuncture research, I will leave the symposium better equipped to help my patients.
You might be on the fence, wanting to attend the symposium but worried that you won’t know anyone. As a shy introvert, I get this. And also … any time that I have talked with someone sitting next to me at an AAMA symposium presentation, they have been warm and welcoming. Still on the fence? Reach out to me. My email is drjenniferdilts@gmail.com, and I will save you a seat. And while you’re at the symposium, join a committee! You won’t regret it. If you can’t attend the symposium in-person this year, attend virtually, and make plans to be in-person with us NEXT year! You deserve to practice acupuncture in community.
AAMA Remembers Tapan Chaudhuri, 1942-2024
