OMD to DAOM Program

The Oriental Medicine Doctor (OMD) Program at South Baylo University (SBU) began in 2005 .  After thinking for awhile, I decided that I would pursue the OMD degree after I graduated from the Masters in Acupuncture and Oreintal Medicine (MAOM) Program and passed the CA Acupuncture Board exam.

At the Fall 2007 new student orientation, they announced that the OMD Program would be changed to the Doctor in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (DAOM) Program.  This meant new students, including us, would enter into the DAOM Program while current OMD students would transfer into it.  Major revisions for the program included some different classes, more types of clinical training, specializations, research, and dissertation.  It would now take more than two years to finish.

We learned that many acupuncture schools are now eliminating the OMD Program, and changed to DAOM Program.  The staff said that they could offer both, but they do not have enough people power for it.  I really think they should let us choose.

I understand the purpose of raising the positions and standards for acupuncturists, but the research and dissertation part is ridiculous.  We had been told that it was supposed to be a professional, not academic, degree.  How come other health care professions do not need research and dissertation? Performing all that research will not help us much in clinic and the real world.  Instead, it would only make us more socially incompetent.  What we need is more clinical training, not research.

I am going to remain in the DAOM Program despite being a guinea pig.  The class material is still interesting.