Getting Started

Trust by mrhollygolightly

My name is Amy Chitwood, and I'm in my second year of the Master's program at the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine (OCOM) in Portland, Oregon. I taught English in Ulsan, South Korea for three years, which was an incredible experience, and also where I discovered the healing abilities of acupuncture. I had been suffering from years of allergies and asthma, and on the advice of my now mother-in-law, went to the nearest acupuncture clinic. This is where I met Dr. Kim (more on this amazing man later), who, after just three months, reduced the symptoms by over seventy percent. I was hooked, and soon after that had the brilliant idea of going back to school. again......

I applied to OCOM because I wanted to live near my family, but also the after researching schools in the Northwest, the reputation, requirements, and research department truly fit what I was looking for. OCOM is a nationally renowned school that offers a Master's and Doctoral degree in acupuncture, herbal medicine, and massage (lumped together as "Oriental Medicine"). It's been an incredible journey so far, albeit quite stressful at times! However, I'm really excited about the future of alternative medicine here in the great Northwest.

So here I am, with finals and the clinic entrance exam (CEE) fast approaching. This CEE is what we have to pass in order to become interns next year, and it's basically everything we've learned these past two years. Luckily, I have a fantastic partner who is willing to put up with my stress and whining. It was his idea to start this blog in the first place, and I highly recommend you check out his blog, too.