What to Expect in Your First Year at ICOM 

Part 4: The Personal and Professional Development (PPD) Module 

The PPD module runs throughout the course at ICOM. It enables you to thoroughly develop the skills and techniques required to become a self-reflective practitioner. This is where you’ll keep the portfolio which is a requirement for entry into our professional governing body, the British Acupuncture Council (BAcC). 

The PPD Curriculum 

The PPD curriculum explores three aspects of the practice and application of Chinese Medicine: 

The Therapeutic Relationship 

Lectures in The Therapeutic Relationship will give you a full understanding of why relational skills are so important. You’ll participate in three half-day workshop/seminars where you will be introduced to the core principles of Transactional Analysis.   

Mindfulness techniques will form the basis of your self-exploration and will be facilitated by specific techniques in reflective writing. You’ll be invited to begin examining your experience through the lenses of Transactional Analysis and Chinese Philosophy. You’ll also begin a practise of self-cultivation. 

Diagnostic Skills 

You’ll begin your initiation into core observational and palpatory diagnostic techniques. You will embark on your pulse diagnosis course which will span not only lectures in PPD but also Point Location and Chinese Medicine.  

Through workshops you will be introduced to the ancient techniques of Body Diagnosis/Tongue Diagnosis and Hara Diagnosis. 

Clinical Skills 

You will have your first experience of observing professional acupuncturists at work in a clinical setting and you’ll be required to keep a log of your clinic observation hours. 

The Aim of the PPD Module 

This module aims to provide you with opportunities to: 

• develop an awareness of professional conduct and be introduced to the concept of the ‘therapeutic relationship’ 
• encourage personal and professional reflection and independent learning    
• be introduced to basic diagnostic and clinical techniques. 

On completion of the module you will be able to:   

1. Demonstrate an understanding of pulse, face and tongue diagnosis    
2. Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of the therapeutic relationship and a capacity for self-study    
3. Identify and reflect upon your personal and professional goals, with self-review.    

Portfolio Requirement   

Your Student Portfolio requirements are designed to support and exemplify your personal and professional development through the course. By the end of the year, your portfolio will include records of tests and projects, a Professional Development Plan and Review, tutorial notes, reflective writing and more.  

Professional Development Review 

At the start of the year you will be asked to think about what motivated you to want to practise acupuncture, what personal qualities and skills you bring to it as a professional role, and what qualities and skills you hope to develop in the course of your training.   

Then for the last group tutorial of the year, you will provide a reflective statement about how you personally have changed and developed through the experience of the course this year. 

Read our other blog posts in this series to find out more about what your first year at ICOM will be like.

We hold regular Open Days at our Acupuncture college in East Grinstead. We encourage you to come along to one of these as they give you a really good idea of what it’s like to study at our small, friendly college. You’ll meet current students and watch a live Acupuncture treatment. These Open Days are held every couple of months. Keep an eye on our Open Day page as new dates are posted on here.