AOMA Graduate School of Integrative Medicine, based in Austin, TX, will become a distinct entity within Bastyr University: AOMA College of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine. This will be the third geographic location of Bastyr University programs in the United States; the University already has institutions in Kenmore, WA and San Diego, CA. The relationship between Bastyr and AOMA has been unanimously approved by Bastyr’s Board of Trustees and AOMA’s Board of Governors. Final approval from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities and the Department of Education is pending.
Institutions Share a Common Mission and Vision…
From Bastyr’s press release of this news, Mac Powell, PhD, president of Bastyr University says the “institutions share a common mission and vision – to transform the health and well-being of our communities and train the future leaders in the healthcare field.” Bastyr is looking forward to this opportunity significantly strengthening and expanding their degree program offerings, which will benefit their students, and communities they serve.
AOMA College of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine
Founded in 1993, AOMA is a well known and respected graduate school offering programs in both acupuncture and Oriental medicine. It is among the largest services of acupuncture and Chinese medicine in the Austin area, where it currently has 2 clinics. It is accredited through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. Also in the press release, Betty Edmond, MD, president and CEO of AOMA said they “are looking forward to collaborating as we grow our educational programs and patient services, as well as furthering research efforts and the advancement of acupuncture, Chinese medicine and natural medicine in its entirety.”
Node Smith, associate editor for NDNR, is a fifth year naturopathic medical student at NUNM, where he has been instrumental in maintaining a firm connection to the philosophy and heritage of naturopathic medicine amongst the next generation of docs. He helped found the first multi-generational experiential retreat, which brings elders, alumni, and students together for a weekend campout where naturopathic medicine and medical philosophy are experienced in nature. Three years ago he helped found the non-profit, Association for Naturopathic ReVitalization (ANR), for which he serves as the board chairman. ANR has a mission to inspire health practitioners to embody the naturopathic principles through experiential education. Node also has a firm belief that the next era of naturopathic medicine will see a resurgence of in-patient facilities which use fasting, earthing, hydrotherapy and homeopathy to bring people back from chronic diseases of modern living; he is involved in numerous conversations and projects to bring about this vision.
