Medical Acupuncture
A Journal For Physicians By Physicians

Fall 1999 / Wiinter 2000- Volume 11 / Number 2
"Aurum Nostrum Non Est Aurum Vulgi"

AAMA desk

AAMA PRESIDENT'S LETTER

Dear Physicians in Acupuncture,

     On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Academy, I am privileged to wish you all a happy and prosperous New Year 2000! The American Academy of Medical Acupuncture has much to offer in Y2K for you as physician acupuncturists, and we hope you will be involved with us as acupuncture continues to increase its presence and impact on the American healthcare field.

     The Academy will offer increased education opportunities over the next year. These will be highlighted by the 12th Annual AAMA Symposium in Orlando, Florida in April 2000. We expect over 500 physicians to attend this Symposium which will present national and international physician acupuncture authorities teaching in a wide variety of acupuncture paradigms. We will also host the Pan-Pacific Acupuncture Forum, with colleagues from the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand joining in the first quadrennial gathering of education and fun with this group since the previous meeting together in Gold Coast, Australia in 1996. Other educational offerings by the AAMA this year and next include an intensive Chinese Pulse Diagnosis workshop by Dr. Robert Hefron, Acupuncture Review Courses chaired by Dr. Mitch Elkiss, the CraigPENS Workshop with Dr. Bill Craig and Dr. Steve Taylor, and a Korean Hand Acupuncture course with Dr. Roberto Jodorkovski. Others are being planned as well, in addition to various regional seminars and workshops sponsored by AAMA Regional Chapters.

     Dr. Allen McDaniels has worked with Mr. Jim Dowden, AAMA Executive Administrator, to prepare the AAMA to become a CME granting authority. We went through a site visit this Fall and hope to hear approval in April for this important aspect of Academy service.

     After many years of frustration in trying to deal with the American Medical Association, we finally have entered into dialogue that we hope will bring us to common ground in supporting physician practice rights while using a medical device known as the acupuncture needle. Further, through the efforts of the Medical Acupuncture Research Foundation and numerous researchers and physicians throughout the country, more acupuncture research is forthcoming to more clearly understand the mechanisms and indications of acupuncture within our biomedical practices.

     Public awareness of acupuncture and specifically, medical acupuncture, is increasing, with news coverage including AAMA members and the best of both worlds on television and in the newspaper and magazine press. The AAMA is noted with increasing frequency as the referral source for physician-based acupuncture care, often including the Patient Referral Line in news reports.

     After considerable investigation and discussion, the AAMA Board of Directors has recently approved the formation of the American Board of Medical Acupuncture. This Board will serve to recognize physicians for their accomplishments in medical acupuncture, and to help the public be aware of the unique role the physician is in to integrate the best from biomedicine and acupuncture. A Task Force has been established to clarify the many details involved in this process. Look for details to be available by the Orlando Symposium, with a mid year start-up date.

     Finally, my thanks go to Dr. Richard Niemtzow for his continued efforts with Medical Acupuncture. We want to encourage all of you to contribute to the joumal with high-quality, original basic or clinical research and case reports. We have seen the j ournal mature nicely over the last several years and hope you will contribute to its future successes.

Sincerely,

Bryan L. Frank, MD, AAMA President

AUTHOR INFORMATION

Dr Bryan L. Frank is President of Integated Medicine Seminars, LLC, and a Clinical Instructor for the UCLA Medical Acupuncture for Physicians Program. He is Founding Director for Global Mission Partners, and serves in Ecuador, Nepal, Mexico, Russia, and other developing nations with severe health care needs. Dr Frank became the AAMA President at the Chicago Symposium in April 1999.

Bryan L. Frank, MD
PO Box 831111
Richardson, TX 75083-1111
Phone: 972-489-4286 - Fax: 972-437-9644 - E-mail: bfrank@pol.net

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