After reading the article "The Bright Future of Acupuncture" by Will Morris (January 2010), I cannot help but to disagree with it to some extent.

I hold a license in Florida and North Carolina, and have been in practice for more than 10 years. I disagree that more titles make one a better practitioner. That serves the schools and certification organizations as yet another fee to collect. However, it does not necessarily make one a better clinician.

I do agree that one must be properly trained and that licenses and such must be held, but enough of titles. We are not competing with the medical doctors. We are improving on what they do, based on a different philosophy of medicine. Acupuncture has been proven time and again for over 3,000 years.

I am passionate about my work, and I am sure I don't stand alone in stating that unless we hold true to the teachings of the ancient teachers, we will just become part of the medically automated system in today's China and in the West. Acupuncture was not discovered in a lab. It is based on the philosophy of the Tao.

Instead of advocating for us to acquire more titles, perhaps it is time to require more knowledge from MDs and DCs before they claim to practice acupuncture. Instead of requesting that we go back to school to earn a doctorate degree, and pay more dues and fees, perhaps it is time for our organizations to stand behind us, and fight for us when we want to earn our living doing what we love, yet have companies such as Blue Cross/Blue Shield, and Cigna laughing at us and not paying our fees. We are asked to behave, compete and bill according to the Western medical protocols, yet our fees paid do not match such a request.

Monica Costa-Moreno
via e-mail

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