TCM Books less than $500 each!!!

World Health Organisation Acupuncture world standard, released now!!!! New publications about Chinese Medicine, that don't cost $500!
Pre Massage class practice

Hi Blogs,

News in from the just past Australasian Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Annual Conference (AACMAC) over last weekend: The World Health Organisation has released a much debated and laboured on publication of the official recognition of acupuncture points. Its a good step because it validates CM further and helps in the systematisation which is good for future research.

Another book mentioned is the Chinese Medicine Study Guide Series from the People's Medical Publishing House. Not sure if they're China Government run, sounds like though, but the book was well laid out ( had simplified text boxes of info-like Maciocia's books) with good english and seems to cost $50-which is a pretty amazing price for these types of books. Here's their site, the book in the pic above is the Diagnostics one I checked out:

http://www.pmph.com/en/product.aspx?ColumnId=13

Plus the food at the conference was apparently very good. I'll have to try and make the next one.

TCM Bum Diagnosis

I was sitting in one of our tutorials when I heard about a restaurant review. One of of my fellow TCM students works a shift there. James is well known for his low riders...
Check out the article from the Sydney Morning Herald: http://www.smh.com.au/news/restaurant-reviews/starfish/2008/05/21/1211182868490.html
and here’s more evidence from our Western Health Science tutorial of his natural style :

Anything to beat exam stress

Great quotes!

Have to move those eyeballs along...RIP

“A good book which gives people food for thought, which strengthens and clears their minds, and enables them to grasp truths which they have dimly felt but could not formulate -- we hold that such a book does a real, substantial good”
Helena Petrovna Blavatsky

I wish this quote could equate to my course notes!
However this one is probably more apt:
“the flexibilty of the text is such that you may understand what they say, but you cannot deduce anything from what you understand”
Claude Larrre from Essence, Spirit, Blood and Qi

Two weeks before the end of semester exams, looking to the skies for a miracle. I should be looking at my book...

More dissection

These are cow's eyes...We did another dissection class, shocking, somehow beautiful though That head was not dissected
We did a tutorial of facial features and references to the rest of the body. Very interesting, most sources we looked at seemed to have the same information
Anatomy and physiology. Near end of semester-notice mainly empty seats!!!

Advice from the UTS Emperor

Hi Blogs,

Everybody wants advice, especially when you're too busy to come up with your own. I found some study pointers from the "Chief Minister" of the UTS faculty for TCM, Peter Meier. One day I will get an interview with this fella. Peter by the way is really a large bloke whose fingers hardly fit on the wrists of the people he's checking the pulse of! He's an extremely down to earth person, no nonsense type, who I'm sure cares about every single person on the course-although he would never let on!

So here you have a few years of teaching advice distilled into 8 points.

Thanks for letting me republish it here (slightly edited). From this forum: http://forums.acupuncture.net.au/viewtopic.php?p=7189&highlight=#7189

"Most people can learn acupuncture and remember the points if they put the effort in. I suspect, like many students...you are likely not approaching your studies in a systematic manner. To succeed in any field of study you must approach your studies in a planned and organised way.

1) identify what you are trying to learn

2) why you are learning it (if you are cramming for a test you will forget two minutes after you walk out of the exam)

3) identify the best approach to learn the material according to your style eg, colours, visual, audio, mind maps etc

4) plan appropriate study times where you can consistently go over the material eg 3 x20 minutes per week may work better than 1 hr per week depending on your learning styles and schedule

5) repetition is the mother of learning - this is a cliche for a reason

6) ground your theory in practice - don't read about or memorise point locations - find them on real people (that's why you have friends and relatives)

7) have realistic expectations - acupuncture points were not mapped in a week and you won't learn them that quickly either

8) draw up a study timetable - very important but not done by most- and then stick to it

Remember that no amount of learning will replace a couple of years of clinical practice. also, and probably should have mentioned this first - ask yourself why you are bothering in the first place (save yourself and your lecturers some grief) -if its only a passing interest then its not likely that your motivation will be particularly high or last very long. You need to develop a passion for your studies and future profession (you will be sticking needles into people for the next 40 years or however old you are + your working life) that will motivate your actions. apart from that the only other thing is perseverance let me leave you with another cliche that is very relevant to students and graduates who are about to start their clinics people who fail to plan, plan to fail good luck"

Bizzy

This is a sheep's brain that we dissected. RIP sheep and thanks
Hi people how was your week?
As some might know this was the first week back after a two week break for UTS. And we got smashed! Two exams, one presentation and a brain dissection. Not to mention, which I am, a talk on TCM and IVF treatment, the improvisation class I participate in and doing my job. I think I need a brain dissection.