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Category: News

Published: October 26, 2018

OCOM Alumni Association Scholarship

Master's student Jordan Ganz received the 2018 OCOM Alumni Scholarship Award. The OCOM Alumni Association has provided this reoccurring scholarship opportunity for continuing OCOM students since 2013.

The association's Board had a difficult year deciding the winner of their scholarship. The stakes were high. Scholarship contestants were asked to create a marketing piece to promote their future acupuncture and Chinese medicine practice. Jordan Ganz’s professional brochure excelled in the competition.

OCOM’s 1,400+ graduates stay connected and create a pool of resources for growing the acupuncture and Chinese medicine profession through the OCOM Alumni Association. In addition, the association has made a commitment to continue to support students who excel in the program. For more information on the OCOM Alumni Association, visit alumni.ocom.edu.

Nathan J. Heide Scholarship

OCOM alum Nathan J. Heide, DAOM, LAc of Anjuna Medicine in Eugene, Oregon, awarded his $1,000 scholarship for 2018. Incoming OCOM master's student Zoe Meyers is the recipient of the 2018 Nathan J. Heide Scholarship Award.

In her winning essay, Meyers addressed how her training as a medical provider can restore a space for creativity, imagination, and self-expression in patients who suffer from disease. Meyers wrote “[In Chinese medicine treatments, the] …format of questioning allows patients to draw connections between the numerous body systems, between mental and physical wellness. In telling their health story in this unfolding and holistic format, patients view, perhaps for the first time, their fully integrated self. The practitioner can support this aim by fostering a safe, open space and making patients feel free to share every detail, even those that seem minor—perhaps risky—but contribute to their self-exploration. This practice of reflection deepens after clinical questioning as patients begin therapy that, unlike other treatments, carves out the peace and silence that patients need to achieve creative flow.”

OCOM is extremely proud to count on the support of its alumni and to channel their desire to stay connected. In the words of Dr. Nathan J. Heide, “OCOM is a leader in health care diversity and transformational development” and that is what drove him to develop this scholarship opportunity.

This is the first year of a multiple-year pledge of the Nathan J. Heide Scholarship. For more information about Anjuna Medicine, visit their website.

Beaverton Acupuncture Scholarship

This fall, thanks to the support of the Beaverton Acupuncture Herbal Clinic/Shuyi Dong Scholarship, OCOM is able to welcome incoming doctoral students, Nuttaphat Stonnisgul and Elizabeth Maximin, each with a $1,500 scholarship.

Shuyi Dong, MD, LAc and her Beaverton Acupuncture Herbal Clinic have demonstrated a strong commitment to support OCOM and the development of the acupuncture and Chinese medicine profession. For this scholarship application, the students were asked to speak about how their community and service experiences have informed the vision for their practice. Stonnisgul’s and Maximin’s testimonies gained them their award.

OCOM is grateful for the opportunity to carry the legacy of such an accomplished practitioner in our community and to honor her desire to support our graduate students.

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Category: News

Published: June 22, 2018

The Trudy McAlister Foundation awarded their 2018 AOM Scholarships to participants of Acupuncture schools in the United States. We are proud to state that OCOM masters student Jasmine Lister was among five recipients of these prestigious awards of $2,000.

Jasmine, as well as other scholarship contestants submitted an essay and completed a thorough application process for this merit-based scholarship.

This paragraph from her winning essay best exemplifies Jasmine’s goals for her health practice: “My ultimate goal is to open a multi-disciplinary wellness center that interweaves meditation, nutrition, yoga, acupuncture, herbs, cupping and body work in my hometown, the Washington DC area. I believe that it is with my solid and diverse experience, that I can become a leader in the field of AOM. I will continue to transfer our medicine onto those from all socioeconomic backgrounds, which will ultimately have a greater effect on our community.”

Trudy McAlister was a grateful acupuncture patient who decided to create a national scholarship program specifically for students of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine through the AOM National Scholarship Foundation. OCOM and its student body welcomes the support from the Trudy McAlister Foundation and appreciates Trudy McAlister’s foresight in supporting acupuncture practitioners.

The AOM Scholarship Fund was established primarily to support students who show promise of making significant contributions either to clinical practice and/or to the understanding of the role of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (AOM) in a modern context. The Foundation also supports research and related activities that promote the advancement of AOM. For more information about the Trudy McAlister Foundation, please visit trudymcalisterfoundation.org.

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Category: News

Published: June 22, 2018

88-year-old visionary leader in whole food nutrient solutions and long term supporter of OCOM’s scholarship program, Standard Process, granted their 2018 Scholarship award to OCOM Doctoral student Phonexay Simon.
Phonexay’s and other contestants’ essays addressed how they adapt their Chinese medicine training to deal with the nutritional challenges faced by the American public.  “I explain to all of my patients the principles of Chinese medicine: moderation, balance, and personalization. I explain the importance of eating to their constitution and TCM pattern, whatever that might be. Additionally, I offer advice based on other Chinese medicine principles such as eating at consistent times, trying to eat in a state of relaxation, and encouraging movement and exercise to facilitate proper digestion based on principles of the Lung and Large Intestine relationship of the Zang organs. Almost always, I find that most patients are very appreciative with these clarifications that are based on an ancient philosophy of balance and wellness,” explains Phonexay Simon in her Standard Process scholarship award winning essay.

OCOM is proud to be consider a partner in Standard Process goal of making nutrition a priority. We are also grateful for Standard Process leadership in supporting educational endeavors and scholarship opportunities. For more information about Standard Process, please visit www.standardprocess.com.

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Category: News

Published: June 20, 2018

OCOM graduate Tamsin Lee selected for BRIDG Research Fellowship

OCOM is pleased to announce that Tamsin Lee, DAOM, LAc has been selected for a prestigious postdoctoral research training program at the University of Washington. The program, Building Research across Inter-Disciplinary Gaps (BRIDG), is a collaborative training program between National University of Natural Medicine (NUNM) and University of Washington (UW) funded by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) T90/R90 NIH grant. BRIDG provides multi-year immersive clinical research training for both doctoral-level complementary and integrative medicine providers, and conventionally trained researchers from the public health and biomedical fields.

Lee is a graduate of OCOM’s master’s and doctoral programs, and has been an integral member of OCOM’s Research Department since 2014. While in BRIDG, she will develop her multidisciplinary research into stress resiliency, specifically in the psycho-social factors of group dynamic healing with mind-body interventions, and the impact of technology on health and wellness.

While sad to see her go, we are proud and excited as she embarks on the next stage of her professional research career. Congratulations, Tamsin Lee!

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Category: News

Published: March 27, 2018

Please join us in celebration of Chinese medicine at Oregon College of Oriental Medicine’s 6th Annual Cherry Blossom Gala on Saturday, April 7, from 6:00 PM to 9:30 PM at Castaway Portland, 1900 NW 18th Street (at Upshur).

This year's theme, "The House of Good Fortune," is sure to inspire great company and good luck. Enjoy a lively cocktail reception, Chinese-inspired dinner, live Chinese music, the "Sparkle Lounge" with free Swarovski ear crystals, Chinese calligraphy, "Laughing Buddha" Photo Booth, the Lucky Wheel, Money Tree, the ever-popular Wine Wall, Golden Ticket Raffle, and silent and live auctions full of unforgettable experiences!

We have incredible support from our sponsors, who include: American Acupuncture Council, Beam Development, Columbia Bank, Heritage Bank, Kaiser Permanente, Miller Nash Graham & Dunn, NW Natural, Oregon Reproductive Medicine, The CHP Group, Thede Culpepper Moore Munro & Silliman LLP, and US Bank.

During the dinner program, we will honor the extraordinary Joe Coletto, ND, LAc, for his 33 years of teaching and inspiring students at OCOM. Joe has been a teacher and mentor to all 1,550 OCOM graduates, so together we will celebrate his dedication, inspiration, and leadership.

Single guest tickets are $125 and tables for 10 are $1,250. OCOM alumni tickets are $100, and student/faculty/staff tickets are $75. 

Are you unable to attend the event, but would still like to contribute and honor Joe Coletto? If so, you have a few options: Make a cash donation. Have questions or need more info? Contact Mike Paulsen at 503-253-3443 x204 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

OCOM Alumni: With the purchase of an Alumni ticket, please join us at 10:00 AM for the complimentary same-day CE with Sharyn Allyson, DAOM: “Wei Wu Wei: Exploring Daoist Principles and Business Concepts.” Learn more.

Lotus Sponsors

Amber Sponsors

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Category: News

Published: March 26, 2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Contact: Beth Howlett, MAcOM, LAc, Vice President of Communications and Academic Services, 
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 503-253-3443 x194
March 26, 2018

A chance conversation with a wheelchair-bound patient led to OCOM’s recent acquisition of new adjustable treatment tables in its clinics, offering patients with severe health issues and mobility challenges improved access to acupuncture and Chinese medicine treatments. The college’s student interns now have treatment tables that can be adjusted for treatments specific to movement-challenged patients, as well as the convenience of the practitioner.

Last October, the Firstenburg Foundation​ gave OCOM $15,931 to purchase 10 ADA-compliant, electronically-adjustable treatment tables. EarthLite​, the table manufacturer, agreed to discount the cost of the tables by more than 40 percent. Over the December class break, OCOM’s clinic and facility staff cleared out the old stationary treatment tables and installed seven of the new tables in the Old Town Chinatown campus clinic and three in the OCOM Hollywood Clinic in northeast Portland. When student interns and patients returned in January, they found over half of OCOM’s treatment tables had been upgraded to ADA-compliant, electronically-adjustable tables.

In that initial conversation with the patient, she had reported that acupuncture and Chinese medicine treatments helped her manage her pain and other serious health issues, but that it was challenging for her to get those treatments. With a limited income, she relied on OCOM’s clinics for low-cost care. However, the clinics’ lack of fully adjustable ADA-compliant treatment tables was problematic. She described the effort required to move her from her wheelchair to a disassembled treatment table at floor level. Student interns providing her with care had to do so while on their knees. She said she often felt embarrassed by this elaborate, troublesome process.

This patient’s particular story helped the college recognize a need in its own facilities and was the impetus for OCOM to confer both with patients with serious mobility challenges and student interns to identify how to better accommodate everyone’s treatment needs.

The “Enhanced Access” project’s goals are to provide patients with severe health issues and mobility or movement challenges with improved access to acupuncture treatments by providing the equipment needed for patients to transfer themselves onto treatment tables and receive needed care, as well as enhancing the hands-on educational experience of OCOM student interns.

While this acquisition’s resulting benefits include OCOM’s student interns now being able to treat patients on tables that are easily adjusted according to the needs of the intern and the particular treatment being provided, interns now have access to a more diverse patient population — mobility challenged patients — which directly enhances their clinical and educational experience. This gift serves the ultimate goal of acupuncture and Chinese medicine treatment, to resolve or alleviate a patient’s health issues, resulting in greater independence, more self-reliance, and an improved quality of life.

In March 2016, thanks to an individual’s donation in honor of his daughter, OCOM purchased, installed, and put in use its first adjustable, ADA-compliant, ergonomic, electronic lift treatment table at its on-campus OCOM Clinic. This single table had an immediate, positive impact: between July 1, 2016 and June 30, 2017, OCOM provided 479 treatments on that table, prioritizing patients with severe health issues and mobility/movement challenges. There were, however, many more such patients needing access to such customizable equipment than could be accommodated with a single such table.

Now, thanks to the Firstenburg Foundation, OCOM has a total of 11 ADA-compliant, electronically-adjustable tables with which to provide treatments. The “Enhanced Access” project has additional funding proposals pending with other foundations, aiming to replace all of the college’s existing treatment tables.

The Firstenburg Foundation invests in community nonprofits that make a measurable difference within southwestern Washington and the Portland metropolitan area, communities formerly served by First Independent Bank, which was founded by Edward W. Firstenburg. The Foundation supports the legacy of Edward W. and Mary Firstenburg, that of improving the economic conditions and quality of life within our community.