"Seeing the styles of various acupuncturists in the assistantship has helped me understand a little more about how I might want to practice in the future."
Abigail Lopez,
Dual Track Student
CLINICAL ASSISTANTSHIPS
NESA's unique assistantship program allows students to observe and assist licensed practioners in a wide variety of clinical settings, including the main NESA clinic and satellite locations.
The clinical assistantship program introduces aspiring acupuncturists to their first clinical experiences as a health care providers, gives a first-hand perspective on the practice of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine, and exposes students to different treatment styles and professional approaches. Students observe how the NESA clinical competencies used throughout the program relate to running a practice effectively.
Full-time students begin the clinical assistantship program in their first term upon enrolling. NESA students have the option to choose assistantships from over sixty approved private practitioners, in contrast to many schools that only allow students to assist at their schools' clinics. In fact, to encourage students to diversify their experiences, NESA requires students to assist at a minimum of three different locations. This exposes them to different types of practices, demographics, conditions, specialties, and levels of expertise. Some participating private practitioners have been treating patients and managing clinics for over twenty years. Several have received advanced training in China and Japan.
A site must apply to host an assistant and be approved by NESA prior to the beginning of the assistantship. Students must complete all assisting hours before entering the clinical internship. Students working towards the MAc degree must complete a minimum of 150 assistantship hours. Students working towards the MAOM must complete a minimum of 180 hours and assist an additional 15 hours at the NESA dispensary, where they observe the preparation and dispensing of herbs.
Newton, MA 02458