Oregon College of Oriental Medicine (OCOM) is pleased to announce that eight graduates of the college were named top “Complementary Medicine” medical professionals in the January Top Docs issue of Portland Monthly magazine. The list also includes OCOM co-founder Dr. Satya Ambrose, ND, LAc.
OCOM alumni recognized as top medical professionals in the category of “Acupuncture” were David Berkshire (‘01), Erik Issacman (‘04), Oliver Leionetti (’04), Casey McGuire (’05), Bradley H. Whisnant (’07) and Daniel Delapp (’96). Additional OCOM graduates Regina Dehen (’95) and Justin Levy (‘08) were included in the “Naturopathy” and “Touch Therapy” categories, respectively. “We are very proud of our graduates,” said OCOM President Michael Gaeta, ”and are thrilled to see them acknowledged for the excellent patient care they provide to the Portland metro community.”
President Gaeta also thanked the magazine’s editors for their visionary inclusion of “complementary medicine” categories in the 2014 issue. “We applaud Portland Monthly’s decision to include acupuncturists and other complementary medicine providers for the first time in their annual Top Docs publication. We believe that doing so accurately reflects the growing recognition and use of acupuncture and Oriental medicine (AOM) as an effective health care option — one suitable for any person seeking preventative, effective and affordable whole body care.”
Since its founding 30 years ago, OCOM has graduated more than 1,200 master’s and doctoral students with degrees in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. OCOM graduates serve a diverse community in Portland, across the U.S. and around the world, practicing in 44 states and seven countries. They have provided more than 10 million patient visits since 1983.
Studies show that acupuncture is effective for treating a number of conditions, and is increasingly utilized by patients seeking affordable, effective and preventative health care options. The National Institutes for Health’s (NIH) National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) recognizes acupuncture as effective for specific conditions including chronic pain, low back pain, chronic stress and many other conditions.
The most recent study by the NIH in 2007 indicates that more than three million people have used acupuncture to support their health; that number is estimated to nearly double by 2014, especially given acupuncture’s growing inclusion as a covered health benefit.
Founded in 1983, Oregon College of Oriental Medicine (OCOM) is a single-purpose professional graduate school that offers two specialized degree programs — Master of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (MAcOM) and Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (DAOM).
OCOM was ranked the number one college in the nation in 2012 for earning a degree in acupuncture by thebestschools.org based on the quality of faculty, success in training students, program comprehensiveness including research and doctoral degrees, and reputation for excellence over time. OCOM operates the largest Chinese herbal medicinary in the Pacific Northwest, and our two teaching clinics and student community clinic interns provides more than 20,000 patient visits each year. Learn more about OCOM by visiting www.ocom.edu.
