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In 1982, the college’s founders Satya Ambrose, ND, LAc, and Eric Stephens, DAOM, LAc, knew the region was in need of something extraordinary. The people of Portland needed the life-changing powers of acupuncture and Chinese medicine, yet, they were missing a high quality training program to pass on the knowledge. Oregon College of Oriental Medicine was then established in 1983 as a place to receive training in both acupuncture and Chinese medicine, graduating its first class in 1986.
Marking OCOM’s 40th year in operation, we have much to be proud of! Our 1,500+ alumni have gone on to do great things, including eight being recognized as Portland’s Top Docs. Some go off and volunteer their services in Nepal through the Acupuncture Relief Project, while others give back by becoming faculty members at OCOM, teaching the next generations of healers.
Since its inception, OCOM has also placed great emphasis on establishing and maintaining community partnerships, and has received grants from Kaiser Permanente over the past four years to support access to acupuncture care for low-income patients in the Portland metropolitan area. This past year, OCOM was selected as a Fora Health Community Partner of the Year, and is an active member of the Coalition of Community Health Clinics.
So what’s new on the horizon for OCOM?
OCOM is proud to support the newly funded Topological Atlas and Repository for Acupoint (TARA) research project. Using OCOM’s database of acupuncture treatment results, the TARA project will bring together anatomy, physiology, data science, and traditional Chinese medicine to advance the science of acupuncture.
On September 14, 2023, the community and its supporters will come together to celebrate OCOM’s forty years of accomplishments at our Ruby Jubilee event. Purchase tickets to attend the event and learn about other ways to support OCOM’s mission of providing a future of hope and healing.
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Prosper Portland focuses on building an equitable economy, based on four cornerstones: growing family-wage jobs, advancing opportunities for prosperity, collaborating with partners for an equitable city, and creating vibrant neighborhoods and communities. Each year, Prosper Portland seeks proposals from community-based organizations for projects that foster vibrant and healthy neighborhoods and improve the prosperity of area residents and businesses.
OCOM recently received a Community Livability Grant from Prosper Portland to be used toward facility improvement projects at the college, including rehabilitation of the eco-roof, improvements to the fifth-floor deck area, and increasing the efficiency of the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system.
OCOM President Phil Lundberg displays the recent Prosper Portland grant.
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Oregon College of Oriental Medicine (OCOM) has opened registration for the next Introduction to Chinese Medicine course. Following the success of past offerings, OCOM is excited to bring it back beginning Wednesday, September 20 via Zoom.
This course, open to the public, will introduce Chinese medical theories, treatments, history, the basics of holism, and research. Participants will learn about acupoints, herbal medicine, acupuncture, moxibustion, massage, gua sha, cupping, and bleeding. Dietary therapy, channel system, organ networks, along with yin/yang theory, Chinese pathology, and concepts of qi will be explored as well.
This five-week online class — Wednesday evenings, September 20 through October 18 — is presented by esteemed OCOM faculty members, all teaching their specialized perspectives via lecture, demonstration, and discussion. Cost is $275.
Register today for the Introduction to Chinese Medicine course
Are you a prospective student, applicant, family or friend of someone looking at Chinese medicine schools? Have you been helped by Chinese medicine and you’d like to learn more? Or, are you an alum who would value introducing the medicine to more of your patients? Are you in a career exploratory class, a pre-med club member, or perhaps a health, career, or college advisor helping students decide which careers to pursue? If so, this class is for you!
Join us Wednesday evenings, September 20 through October 18, 2023, 5:30 PM-7:30 PM Pacific, via Zoom.
OCOM faculty will lecture on the following topics:
- Introduction to Chinese theories of the body: channel system, organ networks, yin/yang theory, Chinese pathology, concepts of qi, blood, and jing
- Introduction to Chinese diagnostic methods: pulse and tongue diagnosis, 10 questions, palpation (channel and abdomen); and microsystems (ear, face, hand, and foot)
- Introduction to Chinese treatment modalities: herbal medicine, acupuncture, moxibustion, massage, gua sha, cupping, and bleeding
- Introduction to the history of Chinese medicine: Taoism and the gentleman scholar, major texts, famous physicians, current practice
- Basics of Holism in Chinese medicine: Dietary therapy; treatment according to person, place, and season; internal and external causes of illness; balance as optimum health
- Research and Chinese medicine: Empiricism, recent findings from controlled trials, and biomedical approaches to understanding Chinese medicine
Throughout the course, participants will discuss Chinese medical practices and the legally defined scope of practice. Each individual will be encouraged to reflect on the nature of wellness from a Chinese medical point of view. Opportunities to learn the location of selected acupoints and the therapeutic properties of dietary choices will be identified, and recommended reading and web resource tools will be offered for further study.
If these topics and learning objectives resonate with you, consider joining us. If you have questions, contact Anna Grace at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Register today for OCOM's Introduction to Chinese Medicine course
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Fora Health is a medically assisted addiction treatment facility in southeast Portland. OCOM has two internship shifts supervised by Connie Jan, MAcOM, LAc and Bonnie Sweetland, MAcOM, LAc, who guide clinical interns through treating patients with substance use disorders. These supervisors have also expanded acupuncture services to treat the care providers at Fora Health. OCOM students also teach qigong at Fora Health to help provide patients with ways to soothe their qi and help reconnect with their bodies.
Each June, Fora Health recognizes key community partners and donors that help make their mission possible. This year Oregon College of Oriental Medicine (OCOM) was recognized as a valued community partner, and was celebrated at a June 1, 2023 gathering.
Associate Dean of Clinical Studies, Katherine Annala, DAOM, LAc, will lead a presentation on acupuncture and qigong this September for the health providers at Fora, and invites you to visit the Fora Health website to learn more about the important work being done at this facility.
OCOM students interested in obtaining community outreach credits for teaching at Fora Health can contact our community outreach coordinator, Kerrie Nasman.
Katherine Annala displays OCOM's award from Fora Health
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In light of the recent rulings by the Supreme Court, we at OCOM want to reiterate our belief that everyone has the right to liberty and equity. When society denies those rights to any group, we are all hurt and we all suffer.
Historically, societal improvement rarely follows a smooth and linear progression. In the face of such setbacks, let us hold on to our defining values and continue to strive for our ideals.
Through our values and our five-year strategic plan, OCOM is committed to working to enhance social justice through its commitment to inclusive and diverse access to education, employment, and health care — now more than ever.
Together, let us continue to work constructively towards a brighter and more equitable future for all.
— OCOM President, Philip H. Lundberg
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Oregon College of Oriental Medicine (OCOM) is pleased to announce the return of the annual China Trip in September 2023!
OCOM alumni, DAOM students, and 2023 graduates in entry-level programs are invited to apply for this two-week externship at Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine (NJUCM) in Nanjing, one of the five major traditional Chinese medicine universities in China. Please note that COVID-19 vaccination is required for travel into China.
Hong Jin, DAOM, LAc will be the trip leader. Participants will leave on September 12 and travel to Beijing for a tour of major sites. The two weeks of externship will begin at NJUCM on September 18, 2023 and extend through September 29.
DAOM students may complete CL911 OA China Externship; other participants will receive a certificate of attendance for 60 hours of instruction. For questions concerning financial aid availability for current students, contact Katrina Hitzeman at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The cost of the trip is $4,900. Covered expenses are in-country travel (bus and/or train), tuition, accommodations, breakfast, entrance tickets to selected historic locations, team translator for groups no larger than four, two afternoon lectures by researchers or clinical experts, visa application fee, and travel insurance. Additional expenses and costs, including international flights and some meals, must be covered by the student directly.
*We will hold a virtual China Trip Town Hall on May 1, 2023 from 1:00-1:45 PM. If you are interested, register here: CHINA TRIP TOWN HALL
Questions? Contact Hong Jin at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 971-227-8818.
If you have made your decision to apply for the trip, use the China Externship Application Form and remit it with your payment/payment information to the OCOM Bookstore by May 8, 2023.
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It is with great pleasure that I announce that the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine (ACAHM, our institutional and programmatic accreditor) has accredited our Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine (DACM) program. In a letter received yesterday, ACAHM has issued initial accreditation to the DACM program and re-accredited the Master of Acupuncture (MAc) and Master of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine (MACM) programs for a full cycle of seven years. You can view OCOM’s updated program status on ACAHM’s website: Directory of ACAHM Accredited and Pre-accredited Programs/Institutions.
I wish to thank the vision of the OCOM Board of Trustees, administration, faculty, and the valuable input from alumni and current students, as well as the countless hours of work by current and former staff and faculty to bring about this achievement.
– Philip H. Lundberg, PhD, MHSA, OCOM President/CEO
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