WHITTIER, CA - Reed Phillips, DC, PhD, president of the Los Angeles College of Chiropractic (LACC), has announced the addition of an acupuncture and Oriental medicine degree program to the curriculum. Classes are set to begin January 2001.
Dr. Phillips also announced the appointment of the associate dean for the new program, Dr. Wen-Shuo Wu. Dr. Wu has a medical degree from China Medical University in China (1987), a Master of science in public health (UCLA, 1992), and a degree in acupuncture and Oriental medicine (South Baylo University, Anaheim, California).
Dr. Wu has already opened an acupuncture and Oriental medicine practice at the college's Whittier Chiropractic Health Center.
"Dr. Wu's reputation as an educator and clinician is a perfect match for the college," asserts Dr. Phillips.
Dr. Phillips says there will be six components to the acupuncture and Oriental medicine offering: acupuncture; traditional Oriental medicine; Western sciences and orthopedics; herbal studies; ethics; practice management; and clinical training.
"Los Angeles College of Chiropractic is known for its academic and research excellence," observed Dr. Wu. "With the quality of its basic science program, there's a natural fit here for acupuncture and Oriental medicine. I believe there is no reason why we can't quickly become the best college of its kind in the U.S."
Traditional Chinese medicine theorizes more than 2,000 acupuncture points on the human body, which are connected with 12 main and eight secondary pathways that conduct energy between the surface of the body and the internal organs.
"Acupuncture has grown in popularity throughout the U.S.," observed Dr. Wu. "With confirmation by the U.S. Department of Health on positive outcomes, we expect this science to join chiropractic as part of mainstream health care early in this new century. After all, it's been successful in other parts of the world for over 2,000 years, and there are now over three million practitioners worldwide."
Dr. Phillips' vision for diversification at LACC goes beyond the acupuncture and Oriental medicine program. "The college plans to continue our tradition of innovation for other areas, such as neuromuscular therapy and pain management," he said.
Dr. Phillips believes the "ideal course of action" for LACC is to "evolve into a university." In June, the LACC Board of Regents approved moving forward on that issue, adopting "California University of Health Sciences" as the umbrella institution, with Los Angeles College of Chiropractic and College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine under the new moniker. It is expected that university status will be in place by January of 2001.
