What are we? redux

August 23, 2007

Dear Anna,

In response to your teachers statement:

" PLEASE NOTE - IT IS NOT WITHIN YOUR SCOPE OF PRACTICE to suggest that

patients alter/discontinue/reduce or substitute medications for

acupuncture or any herbal remedy. This constitutes practicing medicine

and unless you are (an MD in our class) or have a MD or DO license this is a

big NO

NO!!! "

I would like your reflections on this.It seemed an extreme reaction to me;

Id welcome input from practitioners. "

This is a major issue that has been discussed on TCM before. The identitiy

crisis that some of us face: What are we and who determines what we do? Are we

no different than Xray technicians or massage therapists? We are not doctors,

though in some states we are physicians though in California we are primary care

providers for Workers comp, should we choose to be. So what are we? Legally or

factually? Your prof is legally right that we are not allowed to diagnose or

prescribe medicine. But to again quote Bob Dylan, " To live outside the law you

must be honest " . I personally take the approach of flying below radar. I have

three loyalties which determine what I do and say: to the value system that I

choose to follow, to my patient, and to my own integrity. In the Torah, which

I follow, it mandates those with information, analytical perspective and the

knowledge and intuition to know what should be done, to apply themselves in

whatever manner possible to help

their patient find balance. I will make myself available to my patients for

their phone calls, their Emails an their need for clarification and support, and

I will make my decisions based upon principles of consistancy, integrity and

honesty. Is that always in accordance with the law? Not yet. That's one of

the reasons that I anxiously await the opportunity to begin Samra's DAOM

program, to augment my knowledge, connect with a community of scholars and give

sanction to what I do. Ah, the impetuousity of youth!!!!!

(again, quoting Dylan:

" Yes, my guard stood hard when abstract threats Too noble to neglect

Deceived me into thinking I had something to protect

Good and bad, I define these terms,quite clear, no doubt, somehow.

Ah, but I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now. " )

I don't know about your professor, but I enjoy and get so much pleasure

connecting with and helping patients and so much gratification and empowerment

in continuously learning and growing, that I trust the path I am on is not just

a healing path for my patients, but for myself as well. I feel that were

pathways blocked in my pursuits, I would view it as a sign that I'm doing the

wrong things, But it's just the opposite, and I feel incredibly blessed. And

grateful!

In Eastern Europe before WWII and before Jews were allowed to attend Medical

schools, small villages and communities looked with awe and esteem at the

" feltsher " . A feltsher was a medical practitioner, an unlicensed community hero

who really knew medicine and saved lives, whose knowledge was somewhere between

a doctor and a nurse, who among other things practiced " shtellen bankes " (what

we call cupping).

So in the interim, (at least this time!) I sign off,

Feltsher Yehuda

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August 23, 2007

> " PLEASE NOTE - IT IS NOT WITHIN YOUR SCOPE OF PRACTICE to suggest that

> patients alter/discontinue/reduce or substitute medications for

> acupuncture or any herbal remedy. This constitutes practicing medicine

> and unless you are (an MD in our class) or have a MD or DO license

this is a big NO NO!!! "

Please tell me if I am off base, but when one of my

patients begins to feel better, I DO suggest to the

patient that they consult with their MD about their medications.

I *never* directly tell them to make any changes, but I

think it is important for us to counsel/coach patients

to discuss medications with their physicians.

Many patients take meds blindly and don't even think

to question their physician.

I also do research on their meds to see if any side-effects

may be causing their symptoms. If so, again, I encourage

them to take that information to their physician for a

medication review.

Am I out of line to do this?

Jean Dombroski, L.Ac.

upstate NY

August 23, 2007

Yehuda

Why do you thing a DAOM will give any sanction to what you do? I feel the same

as you and while i will not tell a patient what to do, never, i will share what

i know regardless if its CM or WM. I do not think anyone can fault this legally

for the same reason noone can stop us from taking WM courses of any kind. DOs

have tried to but they were told its illegal not to allow other professions from

learning, treating is a different question.

-

yehuda frischman

Chinese Medicine

Thursday, August 23, 2007 2:16 AM