Clinic Skills

Our onsite Acupuncture Training Clinic at ICOM also serves as a Teaching Clinic – providing superb opportunities for students to observe experienced acupuncturists at work and learn, through direct experience, the practice of acupuncture under the close supervision of experienced Registered Acupuncturists. All of our practitioners are ICOM graduates and excellently placed to demonstrate clinically the theory encountered on the course. Visit icomclinic.org

Personal and Professional Development

Practitioner skill training is built into and developed throughout the acupuncture course. The skills, knowledge and understanding that you learn are enhanced by the training in professional and personal development given through the clinic modules of the course. You will be required to keep a reflective portfolio of your experiences, understanding and learning, enabling you to set and achieve your personal goals and develop the attributes needed to be a caring and competent acupuncture practitioner.

Year 1

The student clinic experience starts from the beginning in the first year observation, this continues throughout the course to enable a gradual accumulation of knowledge and experience in the many varied diagnostic skills involved in Classical Chinese medicine, i.e. pulse taking, tongue diagnosis, body diagnosis, interviewing, listening etc.

There is no need to find your own patients – our clinic staff will do this for you.

Year 2

As students progresses to the second year, clinical training is reinforced with the experience of Practical Days. On these days a patient is seen within small supportive peer groups and a student is in charge of the treatment (fully supervised), this enables the student to put into practice the diagnostic skills learnt.

Year 3

The main focus in the third year is the clinical training, which starts with group clinics as in the second year and moves to one to one interactions that are fully supervised. Here each student begins to treat independently, taking sole responsibility for a patient’s treatment under the guidance and direct supervision of a senior clinic acupuncture practitioner.

In the last term of the third year the students progress to Trainee Clinics, with full responsibility for a patient whilst at the same time still remaining within the safe environment of the College Acupuncture Clinic. Supervision is still available but solely on request of the trainee student. The Trainee Clinics are supported by Case History Discussion Days – scheduled on the timetable – to discuss the cases seen in more detail. The final year sees the full integration of the preceding years of acupuncture study and practice. This “internship” is an essential part of the whole programme of study and experience offered by the College.