Hons degree level professional licentiate in traditional acupuncture – flexible, comprehensive training for busy mature students…
Case study – Major (Retired) Lisa Lowe
Having served in the military for 13 years, when the opportunity to apply for redundancy arose I made the difficult decision to take it in order to spend more time with my children (then aged 2 and 4). I therefore needed to look for a new career with an easier work-life balance.
During my years as an Army Physiotherapist I became very interested in alternative medicine, specifically acupuncture, and was fortunate to gain an MSc in Western Medical Acupuncture while in service. I was keen to develop my acupuncture skills further and therefore searched for a course that would allow me to gain a Licentiate in Traditional Acupuncture (accredited by the British Acupuncture Council), while still being able to care for my family.
The first colleges and universities I looked at required regular attendance (usually 2 days a week) which would not have been possible for me with such young children. I was therefore delighted to discover The Acupuncture Academy, an independent college in Leamington Spa, which provides a workable mix of both distance learning and in-house training. I attended a preview session at the college in order to get a flavour of the course and meet the teaching team. It surpassed my expectations and I quickly enrolled on the course.
None of my classmates came to the college with prior experience in acupuncture, or even healthcare! Most came from IT, business or teaching. I found that we all brought an interesting mix of life and work experience which enhanced the learning environment for all of us.
The first year is predominantly anatomy, traditional theory, and clinical skills. A typical month would see me completing three interesting and interactive online e-lessons, watching detailed training videos that support class point location sessions, and taking part in online forum discussions with my peers and tutors. This home study is then followed up with one weekend a month in college; a time to consolidate our learning and practise clinical skills.
We start treating patients in the third year of the course. In other colleges, this can be quite time-consuming as students are often required to travel to the colleges’ teaching clinics in order to treat patients. The Acupuncture Academy has recognised that this can be difficult for those working, or with children, and have therefore developed a new approach that provides us with clinical supervisors in our local area. Not only does this fit in with our busy lives, but it also means that we have the beginnings of a flourishing business by the time we graduate.
I am now in my second year, and can honestly say I made the best decision when choosing this college for my training. The standard of the teaching is extremely high, the hours of study are flexible, and the support provided is second-to-none. I would thoroughly recommend this course to anyone who is interested in a career in acupuncture.
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