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Since the program's inception
in the fall of 1986, over 400 students have completed their acupuncture
training at Rosemont College. The five years between 1986 and
1991 marked
an experimental phase in the development of the program. The program
has been revised twice since 1991, and now solidly meets the needs
of graduates entering the workplace.The Acupuncture Program at
Rosemont College is the only accredited program offered in Quebec
(law 34). Graduates receive a DEC, Diploma of Collegial Studies,
which entitles them to write the examination of l'Ordre des acupuncteurs
du Québec. Those who successfully complete this examination
become registered acupuncturists and are granted a work permit
in Quebec.
Acupuncture as a
Profession
An acupuncturist is
a therapist who provides front-line health-care, who evaluates
the vital energy of their patients using the principles of Traditional
Chinese Medicine (TCM), and who performs acupuncture treatments
with the aim of improving patients' health or reducing their pain.
The acupuncturist works
in collaboration with other health professionals and refers patients
with health problems that exceed the limits of acupuncture to
qualified health-care providers.
In their practice, the
acupuncturist encounters patients who suffer from a wide range
of health problems. The acupuncturist takes note of the patient's
medical and family history then proceeds to assess the state of
his or her vital energy, devises a treatment plan, applies it
and completes the follow-up. In addition to needles, the acupuncturist
uses a variety of tools and instruments, which include: electrical
stimulation, laser, cupping, and moxibustion.
The acupuncturist must
at all times respect the rules of asepsis and the standards of
practice set out by l'Ordre des acupuncteurs du Québec.
Generally, the acupuncturist
works in a private clinic, which he or she manages.
Program Objectives
The program aims to
train individuals specifically to practice acupuncture. It is
hoped however that graduates will be equipped with a strong enough
understanding of the principles and tenets of Traditional Chinese
Medicine so that they can complete post-graduate training and
integrate other branches of TCM into their practice such as Chinese
pharmacopoeia, Chinese dietetics, Tuina and Cheng Gu.
The program aims to
instil in acupuncture students a multidisciplinary clinical approach
in so that they learn to collaborate and exchange ideas with other
health professionals. Students are taught basic biomedical knowledge
so they can develop a work method that takes into consideration
all factors affecting their patients' health. As first-line health-care
providers, acupuncturists are called upon to treat a wide range
of clinical cases and therefore require a solid understanding
of the various risks to their patient health.
Specific aims of the
program:
- to develop the student's
ability to relate to people who are suffering while respecting
diversity and difference
- to train acupuncturists
who respect the rules of hygiene, safety and ethics, and who
practice their profession in compliance with the laws and regulations
that apply to their situation
- to enable acupuncture
students to develop the necessary management and entrepreneurship
skills required to properly run their future clinics
- to train acupuncturists
who are fully qualified to work autonomously, who make enlightened
decisions by using critical thinking and problem solving methods,
and who show initiative and level-headedness while acting promptly
and effectively
- to train acupuncturists
who, in the practice of their profession, continually strive
for a
high calibre of professionalism, rigour and excellence.
Acupuncture: a Demanding
Program
The Acupuncture program
was created using the Ministry of Education's guidelines.
It is designed
so that students acquire a set of competencies or integrated skills.
Each course is formulated in a way that clearly sets out course
objectives and the standards by which student performance is evaluated.
The program is conceived to take into account training needs as
well as workplace reality.
The curriculum is made
up of
- 65 Program-Specific
units and
- 26 2/3 General Education
units (16 2/3 of which are common to all programs, 6 are program-specific
and 4 are complementary).
The program-specific
component of the program is made up 1980 hours of classroom training
and contains courses in Acupuncture, Western Sciences, communication
and counselling techniques, and the management of a private clinic.A
project is underway between Rosemont College and l'Ordre des acupuncteurs
du Québec to upgrade the program to the university level.
This project is in the preliminary phases of development.
Acupuncture Program
Course List and Brief Descriptions
 --Acupuncture
Program Course List----Brief
Descriptions of the Specific-Training Courses
Language
All classes are given
in French, and all exams and school projects must be written in
French.
Curriculum and Course
Load
Acupuncture is a full-time
program for all students, including those who have previously
attended post-secondary institutions such as colleges or universities.
The curriculum and course
order are mandatory as they are designed in a way that enables
students to properly integrate knowledge with skills.
Supervised clinical
training begins during the fifth semester, and is expanded in
the sixth.
Program Requirements
The Acupuncture Program
seeks serious, dynamic and motivated candidates who truly wish
to build successful careers in acupuncture.
The 3-year program is
very dense, and the classes and coursework demand a great deal
of time and energy. The program is built around a set of telescoping
skills and abilities, where each semester provides the foundations
for the next. Therefore, it is essential that students integrate
knowledge and skills at each step of the six semesters.
The Department of Acupuncture
gives equal importance to specific-training courses as it does
to classes in biology and Western medical pathology. It is expected
that students fully integrate these notions into their practice
of acupuncture.
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