Are you interested in working as a natural healer? If yes, you might have to consider a career in acupuncture. Well, after making up your mind on training and working as an acupuncturist, you will are done with the first step of everything. The next thing you will need to do is get schools where you can train to become an acupuncturist.
If you live in Canada, there are quite a good number of schools where one can train to become an acupuncturist. However, if you must get good value for your money and for the time spent in working towards becoming an acupuncturist, you should know the best acupuncture school in Canada. Contained in this article are some of the best schools for prospective acupuncturists in Canada.
What exactly is Acupuncture?
If you must know the best acupuncture school in Canada, you should have a good understanding of what acupuncture is.
In its simplest form, acupuncture is a form of traditional healing. It involves the stimulation of the body through the use of sterile needles. This process significantly reduces pain, brings about an improvement in the immune system, and lowers inflammations. This form of healing is based on the belief that there is a flow of energy through the human body. Since energy always flows through the body, adjustments in energy can help deal with inflammation and pain in the body. As an acupuncturist, your major job function is to make use of acupuncture needles safely and carefully so that people can feel a lot better.
As it stands, the western world has not been exposed to acupuncture for a long time. Nonetheless, it has been a major part of Chinese traditional medicine for centuries. In the western world, acupuncture is not the ‘go to’ treatment for any ailment. It appears people only resort to it after the regular forms of medicine that they are used to fails.
What is The Job of an Acupuncturist?
As an acupuncturist, you will be dealing with people with various ailments. What you will be doing majorly is attaching sanitary needles to various parts of the body. This will help in the treatment of several health conditions. Before going on with this treatment, you will need to pay special attention to the state of health of your patients. This will help you select the best treatment alternative at the time. Acupuncturists function like regular doctors; they have records of a patient’s health history and other related matters. That’s not all. Acupuncturists do not work in isolation. They work hand in hand with massage therapists and chiropractors.
Best Acupuncture Schools
Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine Academy (AIM)
Anyone looking to become an acupuncturist in Canada can get a diploma in acupuncture by attending the Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine Academy. This school has been in existence since 1986 and is strongly associated with top-notch education. Over the years, it has been able to put together a proven curriculum and an experienced faculty. In this school’s faculty are shiatsu therapists, kinesiology, psychology, pathology, physiology, and anatomy professionals. That’s not all. There are also nutritionists, Registered Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners, and Registered Acupuncturists.
Students that attend this school will be going through program that is 2200 hours long and will also be part of one of the longest running programs for students in Canada. After completing your education in this school, you would have become very grounded in Western medicine and Eastern Medicine
Eight Branches Academy of Eastern Medicine
This school is based in Toronto. However, this is not an indication that it is only open to people that are based in Toronto. Students from other parts of Canada can learn acupuncture at the Eight Branches Academy of Eastern Medicine. Students of this school are bound to have a solid base in traditional Chinese medicine.
Eight Branches Academy of Eastern Medicine meets the criteria rolled out by the regulatory bodies that matter in North America. Additionally, the curriculum that is being taught in this school does not fall below the standard in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture. While this school cannot be considered the best school in acupuncture in Canada, due to how high its standard is, graduates of this school of acupuncture appear to have a reputation for doing better than those from other schools when they sit for unified exams such as National Board Examinations. That’s not all. Students of this school get to enjoy massive support, mentorship, and internship privileges.
Ontario College of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Offered by the Ontario College of Traditional Chinese Medicine are premier clinical services, modern research opportunities, and top-quality education. This school has taken it upon itself to produce some of the best professionals so long as the science of traditional Chinese medicine is concerned.
Students of this school are exposed to some of the most advanced practical and theoretical trainings in Chinese medicine that is open to residents of Canada. In addition to offering some of the best trainings, this school puts in a lot of effort into ensuring that the surrounding communities have a good knowledge and understanding of Chinese Medicine.
Students that train to become acupuncturists have personal, as well as professional dreams and Ontario College of Traditional Chinese Medicine provides the necessary guides for these students.
Humber College
This school offers an acupuncture program that is publicly funded. Beyond merely being publicly funded, it is the only of such programs that is publicly funded. This program has the approval of Traditional Chinese Medicine regulators in Canada. Due to this, students that attend this school will no doubt acquire the professional experience as well as skills needed to function as Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners in Canada.
What Do You Stand to Benefit from a Career in Acupuncture?
Having a career in acupuncture seems really interesting for anyone that enjoys helping people get well but does not want to become a regular health practitioner. While there are several good sides associated with working as an acupuncturist, it is not all shades of good.
That being said, let’s look at the good side and the bad side of being an acupuncturist.
Pros
Flexibility:
Working as an acupuncturist is flexible. You can decide to work on your own or get a job in a large hospital.
Several Specialties:
As a licensed acupuncturist, there are several ways you can choose to practice. You can decide to simply work in a hospital or take your skill outside the hospital. If you are keen on working outside the hospital, you can become a part of an athletic team, work in a healthcare center or in charitable organizations. Additionally, you can decide to limit yourself to fertility, women health, orthopedic acupuncture, pediatric acupuncture, etc.
Job Satisfaction:
Beyond the funds you will get working as an acupuncturist, providing help to people in dire need offers a good degree of satisfaction.
Cons
Unlike some other careers where you only work Mondays to Fridays, as an acupuncturist, you might have to work weekends. This is because your clients might not be always available during the week.
It requires a lot of advanced learning:
You cannot become an acupuncturist by simply having a first degree. So, if you just work as an acupuncturist, you will need to spend a lot of time training. There is nothing wrong with this. However, you just might not have the needed patience.
Selecting the Best acupuncture School
There are quite a number of things you need to know before going on to select an acupuncture school in Canada. Since there are a handful of schools where one can study to become an acupuncturist in Canada, one thing you must do is take out time and find out all the schools that have good reputations. Furthermore, training to become an acupuncturist takes about 4 years. This implies that you will be spending so much time with the same people. Due to the time needed to become an acupuncturist, if you select the wrong school, you will have a lot of enduring to do.
There is more. Before settling for any school, you will need go find out about the courses they offer and what their program is generally like.
What is the Time Frame for Becoming an Acupuncturist?
Most acupuncture institutions with the right accreditation require students to spend three years studying before they can become qualified acupuncturists. Additional, prospective acupuncturists must have at least 47 semester credits in treatment methods, diagnosis, and Oriental medical philosophy.
How Fast Does the Body Respond to Acupuncture?
When one goes through acupuncture, it takes about 4 days for the effect of the treatment to be noticed. So, if you are not dealing with a chronic issue, you can get treated once every week.
What Equipment do Acupuncturists Need?
When practicing acupuncture, some of the equipment you need are Needles, Essential Oils, Tools and Supplies, Herbal and Nutritional Supplements, Pellets and Press Needles, Moxibustion, Massage Products, Sound and Vibration Therapy, Cupping and Accessories, and Electrotherapy.
Conclusion
The above-mentioned schools are the best acupuncture school in Canada. so, if you are looking out for one, then consider visiting any of the schools above.
