Shanna, & the dilemma of where to practice

[Guest guest]

Hey everyone,

 

A couple things I've been storing up... I read every digest that is

delivered to my inbox, don't often get a chance to type up my thoughts...

 

Shanna, I know you mentioned a couple days back that you live quite a ways

from the nearest M.D's, and I was interested to know, if you were willing to

share, where you practice? How did you find yourself there? Did you move

there because you knew it needed health care or did you have ties there

somehow?

 

Besides feeling a comraderie with you, as I feel very similarly regarding

patient empowerment, and many other issues that you've discussed in various

posts, it is of particular interest to me right now since I'm in that

glorious crunch before graduation where I'm lovingly putting together my

business plan for the opening of my clinic- but am so torn as to where I

want to set up shop. Los Angeles and Boulder are my major choices (I live

and study in LA, but grew up and have family in Boulder), but I haven't

ruled out entirely the idea of picking up and moving... having an adventure

of striking out into the wild blue yonder where my skills are needed most.

 

Anyone else's thoughts - especially those of you practicing in Boulder, CO

and Los Angeles are greatly appreciated.

 

Although this decision is necessarily very personal and very much my own, I

would be grateful for whatever experience and perspective you all have in

this matter. I've been drumming it about in my own head for months now. Read

Marilyn Allen/Honora Lee Wolfe/Eric Strand's Points for Profit backwards and

forwards a good 10 times. All I can do at this point is listen and trust

that the decision will settle in when it's ready...

 

Best,

Nadia

 

_______________

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[Guest guest]

Chinese Medicine , " East Dakota "

<eastdakota@h...> wrote:

 

> Anyone else's thoughts - especially those of you practicing in

Boulder, CO

> and Los Angeles are greatly appreciated.

 

I practice in Boulder and it is a wonderful community. Every kind of

therapy and modality under the sun, a true goldmine. The only

downside is it is (I think) the 2nd most saturated city for CM in the

country, and you compete will chiros that do acu and all the other

therapies, one must be very specialized (IMO) – I.e. My selling point

is that I just do CM (esp raw herbs) and very deeply. So unless you

have a serious connection you will struggle in Boulder for some time.

But since you have family you may be alright, it all depends on the

circumstances. I for one just got lucky to end up in a great clinic

and things have always flowed… But many colleagues struggle. When I

moved here I knew I wanted to be here, but if I didn't get a rockin'

practice then I was considering moving to a less saturated place. In

the beginning this is sometimes appealing, but live where you want to

live. I love CO, so I will stay… Good lUck, If you are in Boulder

look me up…

 

-

[Guest guest]

Hi Nadia - a couple of things to think about: if you find a place to

practice with other practitioners, you have valuable resources for when

you need to dash out of the treatment room in a panic, trying to think

of what points you can use to treat the patient. You also have people

you can explore problems with, and who can support you as you gain

experience. If you start out one your own, without nearby practitioners,

you may feel as if you've jumped into the deep end but you will

(perhaps) learn what I did: keep it simple, treat what you see, pray a lot.

 

good luck.

Karen

 

East Dakota wrote:

 

>Hey everyone,

>

>A couple things I've been storing up... I read every digest that is

>delivered to my inbox, don't often get a chance to type up my thoughts...

>

>Shanna, I know you mentioned a couple days back that you live quite a ways

>from the nearest M.D's, and I was interested to know, if you were willing to

>share, where you practice? How did you find yourself there? Did you move

>there because you knew it needed health care or did you have ties there

>somehow?

>

>Besides feeling a comraderie with you, as I feel very similarly regarding

>patient empowerment, and many other issues that you've discussed in various

>posts, it is of particular interest to me right now since I'm in that

>glorious crunch before graduation where I'm lovingly putting together my

>business plan for the opening of my clinic- but am so torn as to where I

>want to set up shop. Los Angeles and Boulder are my major choices (I live

>and study in LA, but grew up and have family in Boulder), but I haven't

>ruled out entirely the idea of picking up and moving... having an adventure

>of striking out into the wild blue yonder where my skills are needed most.

>

>Anyone else's thoughts - especially those of you practicing in Boulder, CO

>and Los Angeles are greatly appreciated.

>

>Although this decision is necessarily very personal and very much my own, I

>would be grateful for whatever experience and perspective you all have in

>this matter. I've been drumming it about in my own head for months now. Read

>Marilyn Allen/Honora Lee Wolfe/Eric Strand's Points for Profit backwards and

>forwards a good 10 times. All I can do at this point is listen and trust

>that the decision will settle in when it's ready...

>

>Best,

>Nadia

[Guest guest]

Hi Nadia

 

I agree with both Jason and Karen. Your circumstances, connections,

specialization all contribute to your success or lack thereof.

 

I happen to be lucky in my situation in that a) I have lived in this

area before and practiced for 4 years as a massage therapist so I

had some clients who already knew me when I moved back and b) I grew

up just 80 miles north of here so I also have a pool of family and

friends from up there who come to see me here. I live in a town

called Terlingua and grew up in Alpine, Texas.

 

The down side is that I charge only half of what's usually

recognized as the going rate. But my combined home/clinic rent is

only $350 per month so I think that mostly this ends up being a wash

in some ways. I knew that this would be necessary becuase of the low

standard of living here on the border, really more like third world

with many people living without electricity or running water. I

happen to like this (although I do have both this time around)

aspect and find the people here to be quite open and down to earth--

both hispanic and " white " . Keeping my prices low has enabled the

patients to have weekly treatments and keep up with therapy. This in

turn has afforded me a great opportunity to learn by doing and

seeing what works and what doesn't; what damp heat people look like

as opposed to cold damp; yin xu vs. yang xu etc. Since discovering

the net and cultivating my associations there, I have found the

support that was lacking in my earlier days of practice.

 

I don't think I'd live in a city even if I was offered a high-

dollar, successful practice there. The only reason I have returned

to city life in the last 20 years has been to further my education.

I think you need to think about where you want to live, as Jason

said, and make your goals fit with that. But I do maintain that we

are more needed in rural, underserved areas and that much

satisfaction and quick practice building can be found there if you

don't mind the lack of mall, movie theaters, fancy restaurants

(although we have a couple of excellent tourist traps here). The

lack of traffic I find particularly attractive. Colorado, in

general, is more " forward thinking " with respect to acupuncture/TCM

than other states and therefore, less underserved in rural areas.

Look at states like Arizona, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana,

Georgia, Texas, Oklahoma etc. and you may find otherwise. I think

there are still beautiful, quaint underserved areas to be claimed if

that style of living suits your fancy.

 

Good luck and I hope you find what you are looking for.

 

Shanna

 

Chinese Medicine , " East Dakota "

<eastdakota@h...> wrote:

>

>

> Hey everyone,

>

> A couple things I've been storing up... I read every digest that

is

> delivered to my inbox, don't often get a chance to type up my

thoughts...

>

> Shanna, I know you mentioned a couple days back that you live

quite a ways

> from the nearest M.D's, and I was interested to know, if you were

willing to

> share, where you practice? How did you find yourself there? Did

you move

> there because you knew it needed health care or did you have ties

there

> somehow?

>

> Besides feeling a comraderie with you, as I feel very similarly

regarding

> patient empowerment, and many other issues that you've discussed

in various

> posts, it is of particular interest to me right now since I'm in

that

> glorious crunch before graduation where I'm lovingly putting

together my

> business plan for the opening of my clinic- but am so torn as to

where I

> want to set up shop. Los Angeles and Boulder are my major choices

(I live

> and study in LA, but grew up and have family in Boulder), but I

haven't

> ruled out entirely the idea of picking up and moving... having an

adventure

> of striking out into the wild blue yonder where my skills are

needed most.

>

> Anyone else's thoughts - especially those of you practicing in

Boulder, CO

> and Los Angeles are greatly appreciated.

>

> Although this decision is necessarily very personal and very much

my own, I

> would be grateful for whatever experience and perspective you all

have in

> this matter. I've been drumming it about in my own head for months

now. Read

> Marilyn Allen/Honora Lee Wolfe/Eric Strand's Points for Profit

backwards and

> forwards a good 10 times. All I can do at this point is listen and

trust

> that the decision will settle in when it's ready...

>

> Best,

> Nadia

>

> _______________

> Don't just search. Find. Check out the new MSN Search!

> http://search.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200636ave/direct/01/