The Luo Down - Fall Issue, November 2003
"A Special Vessel of Communication Between Channels"
Southwest Acupuncture College
Santa Fe & Albuquerque, New Mexico
Boulder, Colorado

In this issue:

Tiger, Tiger Burning Bright

1,000 Cranes

Southwest Acupuncture College Treats Over 15,000 Patients This Year!

Santa Fe News

Library update

NCCAOM Changes Eligibility Requirements

Financial Aid Corner

Clinic Patient Questionnaire

Albuquerque Has a New Campus Director

Albuquerque Campus Blossoms

Boulder Updates

Boulder Alumni News

Clinic Update

Fall Harvest

Book Corner

China Trip

Let There be Light

Since the publication of the newsletter, our dear friend, colleague and beloved teacher Lynsay Tunnell passed away on November 8th, 2003. We are all saddened by his loss and our hearts in particular go out to his family and patients who suffer the greatest.

The college will be creating The Gentle Tiger Scholarship in his honor, the details of which will be announced. As we know Lynsay loved books. Donations of books or money to purchase books in his name will be honored by a plaque in his name.

Remember we are made of prayers.
Now leave in blankets made of love and wisdom.

Southwest Acupuncture College

Tiger, Tiger Burning Bright
by Dr. Skya Abbate

It is with great sorrow that the college learned of Dr. Lynsay Tunnell’s stroke in early October that was accompanied by an aneurysm in the brainstem. This was a profound shock to the enrolled students as well as the entire college community and we continue to try to absorb its significance. We already miss his presence as a valued teacher, mentor, clinical supervisor and friend. Our thoughts and prayers are continually with him and his family at this time of hopeful recovery. There are many types of medicine and Lynsay is getting them all from his vast number of friends and students who have been graced by his life.

Cards may be sent to:
The Tunnell Family 404C Brunn School Rd, SF NM 87505.

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1,000 Cranes
by Chase Melendez

Special thanks to all of the students, faculty and staff who contributed to the creation of 1,000 origami cranes as a prayer of recovery for Dr. Tunnell. The cranes were completed in less than one week and it was a truly stunning site to see the students before class, during break and at the end of each day folding paper for their mentor, teacher and friend.

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Southwest Acupuncture College Treats Over 15,000 Patients This Year!
by Pam Weber, Administrative Director, Albuquerque Campus

Southwest Acupuncture Clinic Data Collection Summary
June 2002 - June 2003

Analysis: Notice the disturbing rise in depression, which is found on both the Santa Fe and Albuquerque lists. Depression was not found in the top ten at any campus just one year ago during our last survey. Boulder lacks a top ten depression but does feature a three-way tie for tenth with Insomnia, Smoking and Menstrual pain. The higher female to male patient trend continues.

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Santa Fe News
by Dr. Skya Abbate

Four for Four
Southwest Acupuncture College will be reviewed for it’s fourth reaccredidation sometime in early spring. This is an enormous event in the life of the college as it voluntarily submits itself to outside evaluation by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. We hope to continue to get high marks for our educational program, beautiful facilities, excellent teachers and an accomplished outstanding student body.

New Santa Fe Campus
The move for the Santa Fe campus is slated for July 2004, immediately after graduation and before the new term begins in mid August. See the beautiful blueprints on the “What’s Happening in Santa Fe” bulletin board.

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Married Bliss in Santa Fe
by Chase Melendez

The Santa Fe Campus staff has one less bachelor. Congratulations to Yash Morimoto and his new wife Stephanie who were married on Friday October 10th at the Zaplan Lambert Gallery on Canyon Road. We wish them all the best in their new life together.

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Library Update
by Colette Martin

As you may recall, last semester Southwest Acupuncture College purchased a state-of-the-art, web-based library management system called Liberty 3, designed by Softlink America. Although implementation of the new system was delayed several months due to the increased administrative demands resulting from the closure of IICM and the subsequent integration of many transfer and teach out students into the Albuquerque and Santa Fe campuses, we are now able to focus once again on this project. We hope to complete the cataloging process for the Santa Fe campus library in the next several months. As there are many of the same entries in the libraries in all three campuses, we expect that the cataloging process will take less time to complete for Albuquerque and Boulder. Little or no interruption in library services is anticipated during the conversion.

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NCCAOM Changes Eligibility Requirements
by Dr. Bingzeng Zou, Academic Dean, Santa Fe Campus

If you wish to take the NCCAOM Acupuncture or Herbology Exam in the school year, here are some things you need to keep in mind.

1. You need to fill out the Pre-Graduation Verification form one month before the NCCAOM application deadline. Usually you will be notified of the application deadline by the Academic Dean.
2. You need to contact NCCAOM directly to get the Application package; either the Acupuncture or Herbology package. Their phone number is (730) 548-9004. Or you can get the Application Packet Request form from the college. Please fill it out and send directly to NCCAOM with a $20 check.
3. New Pre-Graduation Eligibility requirements will go into effect December 1, 2003 (the first day of the application cycle for the June 2004 examination).

   a. Pre-Graduation Eligibility requirements for Acupuncture – applicants must document the completion of a minimum of 1,450 hours of education (previously it was 1,350 hours). This education must include a minimum of 1,100 didactic hours (it was 1,000 hours) and 350 clinical hours (it was 300 hours).
   b. Pre-Graduation Eligibility requirements for Chinese Herbology – applicants must document the completion of a minimum of 2,000 hours of education (previously it was 1,800 hours).
   This education must include a minimum of 1,650 didactic hours (it was 1,450 hours) [of which 350 hours are Chinese herbology specific (it used to be 250 hours)] and 350 clinical hours (it was 300 hours).

4. If you are in the Three-year program, you are eligible to take the Acupuncture Exam in the First semester of the Third year, and to take the Herbology Exam in the Third semester of the Third year.
5. If you are not sure whether you are eligible to take the Exam or not, you can always consult your Academic Dean.
6. Always check the NCCAOM deadlines for application and registration dates. Those dates are posted in the library. You should always send the required documents before those deadlines.
7. There will be another section exam starting in June 2004 for both the Acupuncture and Herbology National Exams, – Biomedicine Module. There will be 50 items and it will take 1.5 hours to finish.
8. You do not get your NCCAOM Certifications until the following are done:

   a. After you have graduated from an accredited school, the school sends your final transcript and school diploma to NCCAOM; and
   b. You send directly to NCCAOM a notarized copy of your CNT certification stating that ‘This is a true copy of original’ after you have graduated from the school.

Next Exam Dates:
New Mexico: April 3 - 4, 2004
California: July 30, 2004
NCCAOM: June 19 - 20, 2004

The following are statistics from NCCAOM regarding average pass rate from exam year 2002:

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Financial Aid Corner
by Marcella Sanders

Plan for loan repayment-know your options!

Students, there are several different repayment plans from which to choose. There are benefits and drawbacks that apply to each plan. These plans are summarized below but for more specifics contact your lender who can advise you based upon individual need:

Standard: the maximum period of time to repay the loan is 10 years. The minimum monthly payment is $50.00.
Graduated: payments start smaller and gradually increase throughout repayment. The maximum period of time to repay the loan is 10 years.

Income-sensitive: the amount of your payment is adjusted annually, based on your expected total monthly gross income. The maximum period of time to repay the loan is 10 years.

Extended: Only available to borrowers with more than $30,000.00 in student loan debt. The maximum repayment term is 25 years.

Consider these options for multiple loans:

Collapsing Loans: for borrowers who have multiple loans of the same type, the SAME lender, and the same interest rate.

Combining Loans: for borrowers who have multiple lenders due to transferring to various schools. TIP: Consider combining your loans before consolidation.

Consolidation Loans: allows you to combine any eligible loan into one loan [FFELP Stafford, Federal Direct Stafford, Perkins, Health Professions Student Loans, and Nursing Student Loans]. Certain deferment options are not available. Consolidation loans have a fixed interest rate. Take advantage of the current Federal Stafford interest rate for loans in repayment, now at a historical low of 3.50%.

TIP: Check with your lender first to find out if they participate in the Consolidation Loan program rather than choosing a third-party.

It is never too late. A borrower can choose several repayment options throughout the life of their loan. Visit www.mapping-your-future.org for additional information. Contact your lender now!

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Clinic Patient Questionnaire
Compiled by Chase Melendez

Following are the compiled clinic questionnaires from Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and Boulder listing the top three answers to the following questions.

What are the reasons you come to Southwest Acupuncture College for treatment rather than going elsewhere?

1. Affordable/Low cost
2. A friend suggested acupuncture
3. Excellent treatment

One thing I particularly like about the clinic is:

1. Friendly staff
2. Professional atmosphere
3. Care given

I heard about this clinic:

1. By a relative or friend.
2. Referred by another professional
3. Yellow pages

Overall, I rate the student practitioner, supervisor, and staff as (with 10 the highest and 1 the lowest):

Overall the average rating was 10.

How can we better meet your healthcare needs?

1. No response
2. More treatments with same student
3. Break clinic

   “Let’s keep those break clinics going!”

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Albuquerque Has a New Campus Director
By Dr. Denise LaRosa

I'm very happy to be the new Campus Director of Albuquerque during a time of such notable growth and change. Everyone is in the process of adapting to our new growth and surroundings and has demonstrated much grace and compassion. I'm looking forward to working with all our students and the good spirited and skillful staff that are here as well.

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Albuquerque Campus Blossoms
By Dr. Qijian Ye

The Albuquerque campus has experienced an evolutionary moment in SWAC history. Not only did we move to a new campus location with plenty of space but it has a beautiful clinic with a sink in every treatment room as well. There are four big, shining classrooms with green and mountain views. This extra space will help us accommodate our 33 new teach-out students from IICM now that IICM has closed. The Albuquerque campus has coped with this transition very well to allow teach-out students to feel at home here in order to complete the classes they did not complete at IICM.

We have planned to offer elective classes such as Advanced Qi Gong & Advanced Tai Ji at Albuquerque in the spring of 2004 to give more opportunity for students to practice graceful, ancient Chinese physical exercise and healing arts.

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Boulder Updates

New Boulder Staff
The Boulder Campus wishes to welcome our new assistant, Sarah Zuege. Sarah is working fulltime while pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in political science. She brings computer and office skills to her job, and we all notice that we are able to breathe a little easier since she has joined our staff.

New Boulder Instructors
Erin Duffy, N.D., earned a B.A in Biology from the University of Vermont in 1993 and her Doctorate of Naturopathy from Bastyr University in 2001. While attending Bastyr, she was awarded the Joseph Pizzorno Scholarship for excellence in academic and clinical performance. She maintains a private practice in Boulder. Erin teaches Western Pathology.

Sylvia Pelcz-Larsen, B.A., Dipl. Ac., L. Ac., earned a B.A. from the University of Colorado in 1992 in Anthropology and Art History. She graduated from Southwest Acupuncture College in 2000. Since graduation, Sylvia has pursued continuing education in Japanese style acupuncture under Miki Shima. Sylvia maintains a private practice in Boulder and will be teaching Chinese Herbal Materia Medica I 162.

Anna Lee Stedman, B.A., Dipl Ac., L. Ac., graduated in 1976 with a Bachelor’s in Speech Communications from SUNY in Buffalo, New York. She attended Southwest Acupuncture College in Santa Fe, New Mexico and received her Master’s Degree in Oriental Medicine in 1989. Anna completed a certification program in auriculotherapy in 1992 through the Electro Therapy Association in Boston, Massachusetts. She has been in private practice in Montana since 1995. Before that, she was a massage therapy instructor in Georgia where she worked on the curriculum to balance Western massage and perspectives with Eastern techniques and philosophies. Anna also practiced acupuncture in Portland, Maine for several years. She is a clinical supervisor.

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Boulder Alumni News

2001 graduate Josh Geetter has been hired by the Telluride Medical Center to provide acupuncture treatments in the western medical clinic in the town of Telluride. Congratulations to 2002 graduate Charlie Reading and Santa Fe alumnus Yvette Suchomel on passing their California boards! We hear through the grapevine that 2001 graduate Hugh Castor is alive and well in private practice in Ft. Collins. Our thanks to 2002 grad Allison Suddard who has offered pro bono in home treatments these last several months for a patient with advanced MS. 2003 grad Vicki Black has developed a line of Chinese Herbal dog biscuits called Foo Dog. Info is available at www.foodogherbsals.com. In her spare time, we hear she also had a baby girl… Joining her in the having a baby girl world is 2001 grad Marie Fossaceca. We hear 2002 grad Elizabeth Moses is expecting next… 2002 grads Mar Corelli and Flo Medanich are both enrolled in Massage school… Here’s sending our best to 2002 grad Jodi Kapla who we hear moved just before the hurricane to the Outer Banks… hope all is well… 2002 grad Kevin Doherty is reportedly back in Boulder providing treatments ala Lonny Jarrett… 2002 grad Damon Davidson is doing security work in Bosnia. A little closer to home, 2002 grads Dave Bent is teaching yoga, Marc Arnold works for Pharmaca, and Marco Lam grows and produces his own line of organic herbals. 2003 grad Andrew Maloney has been spotted at the Boulder Farmer’s Market selling Marco’s herbals and doing free Chinese Pulse Diagnosis… 2000 grad Katie Whitmore is working at the Des Moines Veterans Memorial Hospital providing acupuncture two days a week. This makes her the only acupuncturist in the Veterans Hospital system in a multi-state area. Brendan Chuapoco has been integrating jin shin with acupuncture… We wish 2000 grad Kim Norquist, 2001 grad Charlotte Rafter and 2001 grad Paul Smiddy luck in their respective new office locations. 2002 grad Joanne Neville is a Board Member of the Acupuncture Association of Colorado and coordinated the recent annual conference… 2001 grad Martin Eisele spent 9 months in Shanghai and is rumored to be in the fair state of Arkansas… 2000 grad James Heinritz wrote us from China where he will marry and stay in China with his wife and her family...

We hear good things about/from: Jenny Collins, Lisa Compton-Greene, Nancy Biner, Judy Nagel, Tawnya Salas, Heather McIver, Kate McBreen, Jeanette Rogge, Becky Hawkins, Stacey Reiss, Bryan Rouse, and Jan Livergood.

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Clinic Update
By Dr. Jeff Meyer, Clinical Director Santa Fe/Albuquerque

The month of July was exciting in Albuquerque. A new campus, new campus director (Dr. Denise LaRosa), new clinic (twice the size), 37 new students, and the challenges of a teach-out program. Past Campus Director Pam Weber orchestrated the move along with clinic manager Babette Conley and some dedicated students. The clinic grew from six rooms to twelve including four consultation rooms. The closing of International Institute of Chinese Medicine dramatically increased our patient load creating some confusion in the (not quite organized from the move) clinic. Babette with the help of Santa Fe Clinic Manager Charlene Wunderlich and Jennifer Branham have done a first class job organizing and creating a pleasant, comfortable space for our patients.

Santa Fe has witnessed some growing pains also, however, not nearly as dramatic as Albuquerque. The student body has increased as well as the number of clinics per day and patient load. As usual Clinic Manager Charlene Wunderlich has met the challenge and the clinic is running smoothly.

I would like to thank the students and teachers from IICM. This has been a difficult situation for all involved, however, through understanding, compassion, and love of this medicine we have been able to learn and grow together.

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Fall Harvest
By Dr. Mary Ellen Marino

With fall in the air we are gathering together our rich harvest of memories and insights from our two externship clinics at Community Health and Reach the Children and Adventure Company for winter contemplation. Both clinics yield a bounty of novel and intriguing cases to consider.

Our pediatric externship clinic at Reach has recently been opened to second year students without having taken the pediatric course first. Although this has posed drawbacks the students rely on their previous hands on experience as the pieces begin to come together. Reach is a private school open to all children and includes provisions for special needs students. They continue to astound current SWAC students with their poise and knowledge for such young people. The environment is welcoming and stimulating with lots of opportunities for caring and compassionate treatment. Each student sees three children per class of mixed sexes and ages. The range is generally four and a half to seven years old. We also try to offer a field trip to the school during our regular pediatric class as the practical portion of the final exam.

The Community Health externship is not just limited to women's health. It's a full service medical facility and family practice center. Not only do we see a wide variety of cases but also an overview of what it's like working in an integrative medical facility. With this in mind sometimes working in this environment can be challenging. Oftentimes treatments are given on examination tables because the massage tables are limited and not as much consideration has gone into the treatment rooms as we see at SWAC. The pace and the energy can also seem hectic, and each student develops a deeper appreciation for Charlene's special talents. But when you boil it down the opportunity will leave you with a wealth of new knowledge and a feeling of satisfaction to see that ourmedicine can work in diverse environments and circumstances.

I have been the supervisor at both of these clinics for a total of eight years and love every minute of it. It is exciting to me to watch the students open new doorways into their own healership and explore new opportunities to share their unique methods of using this medicine.

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Book Corner

Skya’s beautiful new book, Chinese Auricular Acupuncture, published by CRC Press, is now available at all campuses for $69.95. The calligraphied cover was done by our esteemed Dr. Jason Hao. This is the third text in a series of four on patient treatment that includes, Chinese Acupuncture (Holding the Tiger’s Tale, An Acupuncture Techniques Manual in the Treatment of Disease), Japanese Acupuncture (The Art of Palpatory Diagnosis). Watch for the fourth book, The Spiritual Practice of Clinical Medicine, to be released in 2005.

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China Trip

Due to the unfortunate SARS epidemic the college decided to cancel its annual trip to China in July 2003 for which we had 30 students. We fully plan on returning to China next July for our annual one-month study tour. Arrangements are being made now and should be available by January 1st. Contact the college for more information.

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Let There be Light

Alberta School Study
A two-year study by the Department of Education of Alberta, Canada, compared four kinds of light. Under full spectrum light, students: Learned faster; Tested higher; Grew faster; Had 1/3 fewer absences; Had 2/3 fewer cavities (and we thought it was our absence policy!)

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Read previous issues: May 2003 | November 2002 | May 2002