Hello all TCM students and practitioners! Please take a moment to share your thoughts with the AAAOM about a first-professional doctorate.
I think it's high time that we have a first-professional doctorate. We have so much training, so much to share with our communities, so much to contribute to the health of all Americans and people around the world, our title should match our expertise. It's frankly a little ridiculous that we go through so much school and end up with a master's degree. Here's a little comparison:
| MBA | 2 years | Summers off |
| JD (law degree) | 3 years | Summers off |
| MD | 4 years | Summers off |
| MSTOM (Chinese medicine degree) | 4 years | STRAIGHT THROUGH FOR 4 YEARS!!! |
What if I'm already licensed? Won't I look bad compared to the new TCM doctors fresh out of school? People who already have licenses shouldn't worry - we already have so many school hours, it will only take two or three more classes to get our L.Acs grandfathered in as doctors. I myself am about to graduate, so I won't benefit from this right away. It's for the benefit of the field as a whole.
I just spent two years and a whole lot of money getting my DAOM - why should I support this? The DAOM program is incredibly valuable. People who get the DAOM have gone above and beyond the requirements to advance the field. My vision is that the DAOM program will live on as a post-doctorate training program for people who want to be at the forefront of TCM research and integration with modern health care.
I'm an administrator at a TCM school - I just spent three years and countless meetings and hair-pulling getting our DAOM program up and running and accredited. Now you want me to throw that all away? As stated above, the DAOM program should become a post-doctorate research and integration degree. This is extremely valuable work for the field and essential to advancing the field. Not everyone wants to be in the public eye - some people just want to have a private practice and care for people. The DAOM should become the degree of choice for people who want to work in hospitals alongside M.D.s, in public policy alongside people with an MPH degree, in research for the NIH and yes, even private companies.
Even if you don't agree with me, take a moment to make your views known to the AAAOM. And leave a comment!
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