Announcements and Calendar

UPCOMING CNT CLASSES

Emperors, Santa Monica
Registration Deadline: 7/26/2009
Class Date: 9/26/09

AIMC, Berkeley
Registration Deadline: 8/11/2009
Class Date: 10/11/09

SCUHS- Whittier
Registration Deadline: 9/22/2009
Class Date: 11/22/09

All students must complete Clean Needle Technique before beginning their Practice Internship. CNT applications and schedule of classes are available on the council of Colleges web site: www.ccaom.org. See web site for out of state classes or classes/exams in Korean or Chinese.

UPCOMING CALE DEADLINES

www.acupuncture.ca.gov

The California board has released the 2010 exam dates:

February 16, 2010 at the Ontario Convention Center in Ontario, CA
August 11, 2010 at the Sacramento Convention Center, Sacramento, CA
Please remember to check in on the web site every so often as “all dates are subject to change”.

You are eligible to take the February 16, 2010 exam if you have successfully completed the Grad exam and all coursework including clinic shifts by December 12, 2009.

Please note that any coursework for which transfer credit was awarded, must have one original transcript with signature and Registrar’s official seal forwarded to the state board DIRECTLY FROM the institution(s) where the course work was originally taken.

October 23, 2009
Completed applications, all necessary documents, including special accommodations request forms and $75 application fee must be postmarked no later than October 16, 2009. Any application postmarked after this date will not be accepted.

Week of November 23, 2009
The Acupuncture board should have notified you if you qualify or not for the February 16, 2010 CALE.

Please see www.acupuncture.ca.gov for additional information and deadlines.


Summer Classes

First Aid and CPR,
9:00-6:00 July 18th 2009 in the UTM/Shrine

Harmonizing with the Seasons of the Sun and Moon
10:00-5:00, July 18 and July 19, 2009, in the UTM/Shrine
Instructor: Cathy McNease


Constitutional Facial Acupuncture Renewal
9:30-6:00 August 21 – August 24 2009 in the UTM/Shrine
Instructor: Mary Elizabeth Wakefield

Welcome Sage!

Sage Goodman has a Bachelor’s degree in Photography and a Master’s in Library and Information Studies, which she received from UCLA. She has spent several years as a professional photographer, before making a career change to librarianship. As part of her graduate studies, Sage concentrated in academic librarianship, cataloging, and preservation, all of which she has had extensive training and is eager to apply to Yo San’s unique environment.

As Yo San prepares to expand its curriculum to a DAOM specialty in reproductive medicine and fertility, the library intends to upgrade its collection and services. Aside from finding new materials in the library that incorporate the new course offerings at Yo San, one noticeable change will be the basic organization of the library. By categorizing materials on the shelves according to subject, patrons will be able to easily browse the library and access needed resources independently. Another area of improvement will be a slight restructuring of the library-cataloging schema so that all materials will be correctly classified according to National Library of Medicine cataloging standards. This process also facilitates better access to materials, as well as eases the transition of creating an online catalog of the entire Yo San Library collection. A library web page will be added to the Yo San University web site, that will not only contain an online public access catalog (OPAC), but also link to online journal subscriptions and a host of useful medical and integrative health e-resources tailored to incorporate Yo San’s own curriculum. As things progress, orientation sessions will be organized to assist patrons in how to efficiently and effectively use the new library tools and systems.

While these few changes are only the beginning of an ongoing list, the ultimate objective of the new library plan is to facilitate a flow of information that is easy to locate and use, both in-house and at a distance. It is also to re-rejuvenate the library to a certain extent, so that it serves its function as a true academic library that is on par with current library standards. In so doing we hope that it will remind patrons that the library is an important part of the Yo San experience. So, while these changes are intended to be seamless, we do hope that they will be noticed and encourage everyone to continue to come in, browse, enjoy a book, and feel free to make suggestions. The library is here to serve, but also promote a participatory existence with its users. Your feedback is welcomed.

See you in the library!

Expanded Free Tutoring

We are excited to announce the successful progress of our enhanced and expanded free tutoring program. With nine Yo San students and alumni working toward a common goal, grades are up and our Dean’s List is getting very crowded!

In the enhanced tutoring program, greater attention is paid to the specific needs of individual students, who are then paired with tutors who share similar characteristics and temperaments. This simple change in the program has been one of the secrets to the program's success: every student's has his or her own style of study, and his or her own individual needs. Some students do better with gentle guidance, some need a lot more structure, and some need to feel they are working with a tutor who ‘speaks their language’; some students need a lot of independence and some need a lot more attention. Our enhancements to the program make these many things possible.

As many of you know the Dean’s List requires a GPA of a least 3.8 -- which is quite high! Congratulations to those students who achieved this honor. We hope to continue the strong momentum of the tutoring program and hope to see more successful students, and tutors, in the near future. If you want to become a Yo San tutor, contact Andrea Murchison, our Assistant Academic Dean. Though students are tutored without charge, even if they are getting three or four hours of support every week, our tutors do get paid!

Ask Julie

Question:

I have been having bad dreams every night for the past few weeks. I believe it comes from stress in the economic situation. Are there herbs that could help me get a more restful and happy sleep?

Answer:

You are not alone in this! Many of my patients are reporting more sleep disturbances, anxiety and even waking in a panic. Several of them have been laid off and are having trouble finding new jobs. Others work in companies where there is a constant rumor of pending layoffs. Even if their jobs are secure, people are still very worried about their futures.

Most people who know me are aware that I am very much in favor of herbal decoctions over prepared formulas, such as tablets and capsules. But there is one formula that I have found works every time for insomnia, and I have been ordering it two dozen at a time lately: It is Suan Zao Ren Tang (Sour Jujube Decoction). I use the Plum Flower brand, but there are others. Here is my advice regarding this formula.

The instructions on the bottle say to take 2-3 tablets, three times a day. For insomnia, I recommend taking 2-3 tablets at bedtime, and then if you wake in the night before it is time to get up (between 2 and 4 am, not later), take 2-3 more tablets. Used this way, I have not had any reports of grogginess in the morning.

The formula is made of Suan Zao Ren, Chuan Xiong, Fu Ling, Zhi Mu and Gan Cao. The function of Suan Zao Ren in this formula is to nourish the heart and liver and calm the shen. Chuan Xiong is a blood invigorator with many uses, but here it is used to regulate the liver to assure free flow of blood and qi. Fu Ling gently calms the shen, and Zhi Mu clears heat, especially heat from deficiency, which is a major cause of insomnia. Gan Cao, as always, harmonizes the actions of the other herbs and strengthens the middle jiao (spleen and stomach function). Classically, this formula is specific for the type of insomnia caused by deficient liver blood, but I have found it works for any kind of insomnia.

If the anxiety and panic (or nightmares) are extreme, then I would advise using Suan Zao Ren Tang as a decocted formula, adding Long Gu (fossilized mammal bones) and Mu Li (oyster shell). These two heavy, sinking substances are very effective for sedating the mind, but be watchful for digestive disturbances, such as loose stools. When used in a decoction, these two substances should be pre-decocted, cooked first for at least 30 minutes before the addition of the other ingredients. Your herbalist will give you specific instructions for this.

Other herbs I like to use for anxiety and sleep disturbances are Yuan Zhi (especially in the honey-fried form), and He Huan Pi and He Huan Hua. These last two herbs are the bark and flower of Albizzia julibrissin (sometimes called mimosa or silk floss tree), a beautiful pink-flowering tree that grows everywhere in Southern California. Whenever possible, I like to use two or even three parts of the same plant together. I feel that whatever grows together must go together!

Thank you for this timely question.

Yo San University Appoints New President

After a national search Lawrence J. Ryan, Ph,D. was recently appointed by the Yo San University Board of Trustees to the position of President. Dr. Ryan (“Larry”) began his tenure as President on June 10, 2009. Larry’s background in higher education is extensive. Most recently he served as the Chair of the Psychology Concentration and Core Faculty Member in the Ph. D. Program at Union Institute & University, which is based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Among other previous positions Larry has served as Vice President of Academic Affairs at American InterContinental University, Los Angeles, Graduate Dean at Mount St. Mary’s College, Los Angeles and Vice President and Academic Dean at St. John’s College in Camarillo, California. In addition, Larry served for six years in the position of Graduate Dean at Union Institute and University, fourteen years as a faculty member and Psychology Department Chair at Mount St. Mary’s College Los Angeles and another six years as Professor and Behavioral Sciences Department Chair at Lyndon State College in Vermont.

Larry’s background in higher education is complemented by his status as a licensed California psychologist, a credential that he has held since 1978 and which provided him with diverse clinical experiences that included affiliations with several Southern California hospitals and clinics. While his background and training have engaged psychological perspectives as diverse as psychoanalysis and behavioral theory, Larry identifies most closely with “Third Force” Humanistic Psychology, which he sees as the perspective most compatible with Taoist healing and human potential principles.



At Yo San University Larry is motivated to collaborate with the board, faculty staff, students and alumni to take the institution to the next level of excellence, including the actualization of the doctoral program and building additional partnerships with Southern California hospitals, agencies, clinics and institutions.. Dr. Ryan stated, “YSU is in a position of exciting growth and development, and I am delighted to have been chosen to be in a leadership role at this time.” Larry pledges to continue an open office policy and welcomes all members of the community to come in for conversation and involvement in the further development of YSU.