Learn from the experts
Last Sunday on August 21st, our DAOM, DTCM, MTCM, and Bridge program graduates celebrated the milestone of completing their education through years of hard work. Within the endless lines of graduates lie limitless aspirations and potential. Congratulations to this new generation of healers!
Every term, Five Branches University offers its incoming students three scholarships per campus in the amounts of $500, $750, and $1,000.
To qualify for scholarship submission students must:
A one-page only statement of purpose essay along with a cover letter, which includes your name and current address, and phone number must be submitted to the admissions office (Santa Cruz or San Jose) by or before Orientation Day. Please note that late applications will not be reviewed.
The Scholarship Review Committee will review all applications based on the above criteria and the strength of the statement of purpose essay and announce the winners within four (4) weeks. Scholarship awards will be applied towards the winners’ next term tuition.
With great pride in our students, we have been informed that according to the latest statistics in 2021 from the California Acupuncture Board, Five Branches tanks top in CA Acupuncture Board Exam passing rate.
Twenty-seven years later, Dr. Lucy Hu is still teaching at Five Branches University and treating patients in the University’s health clinics, her private clinic in Palo Alto, and consulting with Stanford University pediatricians on difficult cases. She is the embodiment of the hero physician, tirelessly pursuing excellence to be of service to so many in need.
Twenty-seven years later, Dr. Lucy Hu is still teaching at Five Branches University and treating patients in the University’s health clinics, her private clinic in Palo Alto, and consulting with Stanford University pediatricians on difficult cases. She is the embodiment of the hero physician, tirelessly pursuing excellence to be of service to so many in need.
Five Branches University is proud to have earned the highest level of institutional and programmatic re-accreditation, 7-years, for its Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine (DTCM*) and Master of Traditional Chinese Medicine (MTCM*) Dual-Degree Program in Santa Cruz. In parallel, the Postgraduate Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Program in San Jose is now fully accredited by ACAHM, the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine. We congratulate the Board, administration, faculty and students of Five Branches for this double accomplishment and recognition, and thank you for your contributions to the continued growth and development of the University.
* Degrees title change notice: DTCM is now known as DAcHM , MTCM is now known as MAcHM. Click here for more details.
There has been an epidemic in the world of pain relief, too many people are using opioids as pain relievers and there is a danger of forming a dependency on these opioids. But what exactly are opioids? Opioids are a class of drugs often used medically to treat pain. Medications that are considered opioids are hydrocodone, methadone(meth), oxycodone, morphine, and codine.
These are highly addictive substances and when patients cannot acquire opioid prescriptions for pain, they often resort to buying opioid drugs illegally because they are much less expensive.
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Did you know there are a multitude of career opportunities for acupuncturists, including starting your own private practice, joining an integrative medical facility, getting hired at Kaiser or Sutter or Modern Acupuncture, getting hired at a spa or yoga studio, teaching at a university, working at an herbal dispensary, or even traveling the world to assist in dire situations for Acupuncturists Without Borders?
Our practitioners are equipped with paramount levels of education for acupuncture, herbal formulation, Chinese dietary advice, and even marketing skills, so you can get started on your career path right away.
We encourage you to consider what type of practice you might want to have once you are an acupuncturist (and keep in mind our DTCM/DAOM/Bridge Doctoral programs offer added benefits since employers often prefer more initials after your name)! Visit Paths to TCM for more information on the many different transformations your career can take, and has already taken our alumni.
In addition to acupuncture and herbs, what other measures can help us through the ‘winter blues’ as we also face an ongoing pandemic? One way is adding more healthy fats to your daily diet, and eating a wide variety of vegetables instead of sticking with the same few ones.
Dietetics research suggests that extra virgin olive oil and fish oils (heavily featured in the Mediterranean Diet) help combat depression, and the positive effects lasted longer if people also committed to eating many different types of greens, nuts, seeds, and beans (Parletta et. al. [2019] A Mediterranean-style dietary intervention supplemented with fish oil improves diet quality and mental health in people with depression, Nutritional Neuroscience, 22:7, 474-487).
In Traditional Chinese Medicine we say colloquially “Eat a rainbow every day,” which references a variety of plant sources. One possibility for a side dish is lightly steamed rainbow chard tossed with cold-pressed olive oil and sprinkled with diced olives (both black and green) and fresh basil.
The pandemic has made most aspects of life far more challenging, and heightened emotions expected with becoming pregnant may be even more complex right now. If you or a loved one is pregnant (the patient in this photo was three months along), consider acupressure for Pericardium 4.
Located between palmaris longus and flexor carpi radialis about five inches from the wrist, P4 helps alleviate depression, grief, and fear of people. Coronavirus has sparked additional worry during pregnancy, including transmissibility concerns and a lack of community support. Even the pandemic aside, anxiety is common during pregnancy but your doctor may caution against taking medications if possible.
When stressed, press and hold this point ten times in a row to increase circulation within the energy pathways; acupressure can also be used preventively first thing each morning to avoid developing the symptoms.
