Guest guest Posted December 4, 2005 Report Share Posted December 4, 2005 Thank you for all the responses re: South Baylo, recommendations for other programs and how to look beneath the surface at what a school presents to a prospective student. It has been very helpful. I am looking primarily at South Baylo because I live and work in Orange County, CA. I am an RN (registered nurse) and have been thinking about making a change. I will not be moving anywhere else to attend a program so that is why I am looking at a program close to home. My family and I are settled here. Due to the current nursing shortage, my schedule can be quite flexible while still earning a decent living. I'm trying to decide whether to pursue a master's degree in nursing or in acupuncture. My primary interest has always been holistic medicine, especially herbal medicine. In the alternative field, acupuncture seems to offer the most accepted alternative training where there are standards the schools must have to be accredited. In addition, herbal training is offered within the field of acupuncture. I think one must be realistic and try to determine if the years of schooling, tuition costs and upheaval in the family will be worth it. There seems to be precious little information on realistic salary expectations, how to start and run a practice, etc. I saw one statistic on the TCM student website that stated that about 50% of acupuncturists quit after 5 years because it is too difficult to make a living! I don't know if this is true but it makes one stop and think. South Baylo is very convenient and they offer a fairly flexible schedule. Now I'm looking into the nitty gritty of their program. Mike offered a valuable tool in suggesting that I average pass rates over 5 years. I'm already slightly wary of why South Baylo was not more honest and only presented the August 2005 pass rates for first time takers only. South Baylo seems to have a high number of re-takers and their overall pass rate is much lower than the 80% presented at the open house. I have been perusing the Acupuncture Today site as well as the TCM student site and there seems to be a consensus to investigate the herbal portion offered at a school. In particular, what is it that I should be looking for in the herbal part of the program - number of herbs, number of hours of herbal teaching? - I'm not sure what question I should be asking re: the herbal program? Once again, thanks to all who responded. I know the topic of schooling is off-topic to this list and appreciate very much the input I have received. Trish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 4, 2005 Report Share Posted December 4, 2005 I think one must be realistic and try to determine if the years of schooling, tuition costs and upheaval in the family will be worth it. There seems to be precious little information on realistic salary expectations, how to start and run a practice, etc. I saw one statistic on the TCM student website that stated that about 50% of acupuncturists quit after 5 years because it is too difficult to make a living! I don't know if this is true but it makes one stop and think. >>>> A very small % of TCM graduates make it, ie make enough money to not have a secondary job, in CA. If making a living is a factor do your nursing training Oakland, CA 94609 - pippa258 Chinese Medicine Sunday, December 04, 2005 12:01 PM South Baylo University/ Herbs Thank you for all the responses re: South Baylo, recommendations for other programs and how to look beneath the surface at what a school presents to a prospective student. It has been very helpful. I am looking primarily at South Baylo because I live and work in Orange County, CA. I am an RN (registered nurse) and have been thinking about making a change. I will not be moving anywhere else to attend a program so that is why I am looking at a program close to home. My family and I are settled here. Due to the current nursing shortage, my schedule can be quite flexible while still earning a decent living. I'm trying to decide whether to pursue a master's degree in nursing or in acupuncture. My primary interest has always been holistic medicine, especially herbal medicine. In the alternative field, acupuncture seems to offer the most accepted alternative training where there are standards the schools must have to be accredited. In addition, herbal training is offered within the field of acupuncture. I think one must be realistic and try to determine if the years of schooling, tuition costs and upheaval in the family will be worth it. There seems to be precious little information on realistic salary expectations, how to start and run a practice, etc. I saw one statistic on the TCM student website that stated that about 50% of acupuncturists quit after 5 years because it is too difficult to make a living! I don't know if this is true but it makes one stop and think. South Baylo is very convenient and they offer a fairly flexible schedule. Now I'm looking into the nitty gritty of their program. Mike offered a valuable tool in suggesting that I average pass rates over 5 years. I'm already slightly wary of why South Baylo was not more honest and only presented the August 2005 pass rates for first time takers only. South Baylo seems to have a high number of re-takers and their overall pass rate is much lower than the 80% presented at the open house. I have been perusing the Acupuncture Today site as well as the TCM student site and there seems to be a consensus to investigate the herbal portion offered at a school. In particular, what is it that I should be looking for in the herbal part of the program - number of herbs, number of hours of herbal teaching? - I'm not sure what question I should be asking re: the herbal program? Once again, thanks to all who responded. I know the topic of schooling is off-topic to this list and appreciate very much the input I have received. Trish Download the all new TCM Forum Toolbar, click, http://toolbar.thebizplace.com/LandingPage.aspx/CT145145 and adjust accordingly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 4, 2005 Report Share Posted December 4, 2005 Trish, You make a great point about the honesty or integrity of a school's words/stats. I have been discussing a similar issue with a student at a MN acu school that was told that she would be be able to take science classes (lab tests, radiology) in the connected chiropractic program. It turned out that the school misled her and she transferred here because of it. She is now in the process of transferring to Emperor's to attend a CA program due to the stronger nature of CA training. There are a number of other programs in the LA area like Emperor's, Samra, Yosan, SCUHS, SCU-SOMA, Yuin, Alhambra Medical Univ, Dongguk Royal, Kyung San in addition to South Baylo. I thought that I might list these just in case you were interested in checking any of them out. Take care and you can make it work if you choose to. Mike W. Bowser, L Ac >pippa258 <pippa258 >Chinese Medicine >Chinese Medicine > South Baylo University/ Herbs >Sun, 04 Dec 2005 12:01:07 -0800 > >Thank you for all the responses re: South Baylo, recommendations for >other programs and how to look beneath the surface at what a school >presents to a prospective student. It has been very helpful. > >I am looking primarily at South Baylo because I live and work in Orange >County, CA. I am an RN (registered nurse) and have been thinking about >making a change. I will not be moving anywhere else to attend a program >so that is why I am looking at a program close to home. My family and I >are settled here. Due to the current nursing shortage, my schedule can >be quite flexible while still earning a decent living. > >I'm trying to decide whether to pursue a master's degree in nursing or >in acupuncture. My primary interest has always been holistic medicine, >especially herbal medicine. In the alternative field, acupuncture seems >to offer the most accepted alternative training where there are >standards the schools must have to be accredited. In addition, herbal >training is offered within the field of acupuncture. I think one must >be realistic and try to determine if the years of schooling, tuition >costs and upheaval in the family will be worth it. There seems to be >precious little information on realistic salary expectations, how to >start and run a practice, etc. I saw one statistic on the TCM student >website that stated that about 50% of acupuncturists quit after 5 years >because it is too difficult to make a living! I don't know if this is >true but it makes one stop and think. > >South Baylo is very convenient and they offer a fairly flexible >schedule. Now I'm looking into the nitty gritty of their program. Mike >offered a valuable tool in suggesting that I average pass rates over 5 >years. I'm already slightly wary of why South Baylo was not more honest >and only presented the August 2005 pass rates for first time takers >only. South Baylo seems to have a high number of re-takers and their >overall pass rate is much lower than the 80% presented at the open house. > >I have been perusing the Acupuncture Today site as well as the TCM >student site and there seems to be a consensus to investigate the herbal >portion offered at a school. In particular, what is it that I should >be looking for in the herbal part of the program - number of herbs, >number of hours of herbal teaching? - I'm not sure what question I >should be asking re: the herbal program? > >Once again, thanks to all who responded. I know the topic of schooling >is off-topic to this list and appreciate very much the input I have >received. > >Trish > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 5, 2005 Report Share Posted December 5, 2005 Trish: I did not attend a TCM school, but rather a 5 Element school with 0 herb training. You could do another 2 years after a 3 and 1/2 yr program if you wanted to learn herbs. I was pretty knocked out after the 3 1/2 years of communting and keeping a family together. I have been learning herbs slowly through workshops and/or reading and,of course, wish I knew more. I think you really have to be called to enter the acupuncture field and to do the study. Even outside of California, making a living at in this field is not easy. It is however possible, if you are willing to be an entreprenuer or work for someone else who is. I think the real question is " are you passionate enough about acupuncture to make the sacrifices to go to school. " And are you willing to go along the bumpy road of an entrepreneurer when you get out or as Alon says work at is along with another job. If your real passion is herbs, maybe there is a way you can study this while keeping your foot in the nursing profession. I should say, Trish, for me, I gave up a tenured faculty position in economics to attend acupuncture school. I couldn't see myself anywhere else but where I went to school. The emphasis on the emotions in acupuncture was why I wanted to study it. So you have to weigh what the school is offering. It is still sometimes nerve- wrecking to know you have to generate your own paycheck - you don't just show up, do a good job and someone pays you - you have to get the clients in the door. For all the changes in security, I can't imagine myself not doing this work. Anne pippa258 wrote: > Thank you for all the responses re: South Baylo, recommendations for > other programs and how to look beneath the surface at what a school > presents to a prospective student. It has been very helpful. > > I am looking primarily at South Baylo because I live and work in Orange > County, CA. I am an RN (registered nurse) and have been thinking about > making a change. I will not be moving anywhere else to attend a program > so that is why I am looking at a program close to home. My family and I > are settled here. Due to the current nursing shortage, my schedule can > be quite flexible while still earning a decent living. > > I'm trying to decide whether to pursue a master's degree in nursing or > in acupuncture. My primary interest has always been holistic medicine, > especially herbal medicine. In the alternative field, acupuncture seems > to offer the most accepted alternative training where there are > standards the schools must have to be accredited. In addition, herbal > training is offered within the field of acupuncture. I think one must > be realistic and try to determine if the years of schooling, tuition > costs and upheaval in the family will be worth it. There seems to be > precious little information on realistic salary expectations, how to > start and run a practice, etc. I saw one statistic on the TCM student > website that stated that about 50% of acupuncturists quit after 5 years > because it is too difficult to make a living! I don't know if this is > true but it makes one stop and think. > > South Baylo is very convenient and they offer a fairly flexible > schedule. Now I'm looking into the nitty gritty of their program. Mike > offered a valuable tool in suggesting that I average pass rates over 5 > years. I'm already slightly wary of why South Baylo was not more honest > and only presented the August 2005 pass rates for first time takers > only. South Baylo seems to have a high number of re-takers and their > overall pass rate is much lower than the 80% presented at the open house. > > I have been perusing the Acupuncture Today site as well as the TCM > student site and there seems to be a consensus to investigate the herbal > portion offered at a school. In particular, what is it that I should > be looking for in the herbal part of the program - number of herbs, > number of hours of herbal teaching? - I'm not sure what question I > should be asking re: the herbal program? > > Once again, thanks to all who responded. I know the topic of schooling > is off-topic to this list and appreciate very much the input I have > received. > > Trish > > > > Download the all new TCM Forum Toolbar, click, > http://toolbar.thebizplace.com/LandingPage.aspx/CT145145 > > > and > adjust accordingly. > > Messages are the property of the author. Any duplication outside the > group requires prior permission from the author. > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 5, 2005 Report Share Posted December 5, 2005 pippa258 wrote: <snip> > I saw one statistic on the TCM student website that stated that about > 50% of acupuncturists quit after 5 years Hi Pippa! If you have to make a living, TCM is, shall we say, *not* a sure thing. Regards, Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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