Hola mis amores! and welcome!

I am so grateful you’re here. As you may, or may not know, my name is Jessica De Leon, licensed Acupuncturist and herbalist, and self-proclaimed, AcuBruja.

It is a thrill and joy to share that I am pursuing my doctorate at Yo San University to officially become, Doctora AcuBruja! (Oh, I like the sound of that!) Over the next 2 years, I will be sharing my journey with you via social media and this blog. My goal is to bring awareness to the thorough training and education we receive as Acupuncturists. Who knows, maybe it’ll also help motivate an Acupuncturist in the future to pursue their doctorate as well. If so, I salute you.

But before we jump in, let’s go over a few details about your narrator here…

1. This blog is a reflection of my journey. It does not reflect the experience of any of my peers, colleagues, etc…. just little ol’ me.

2. I write the way I speak. So allow this blog to be like a conversation among friends.

3. I graduated from Yo San University in 2016, was licensed in 2017, and have been in private practice since.

4. The structure of this program (aka DAOM- Doctorate of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine) is 1 weekend per month, for 2 years. So come back each month for the latest recap!

5. if you would like to support us, we would love for you to follow us along on social media, or sign up for our newsletter.

6. Thank you thank you thank you for stopping by and checking out this blog. I truly appreciate your support.

ok… now without further adieu, let’s recap our first DAOM weekend!

The Schedule  📝

Wowie what a full schedule it was. From Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, classes were from 8:30 am to 1:30 pm and 2 pm to 7 pm. Despite these long hours, there were multiple breaks in between. Perfect for anyone who needs to stretch, run to the restroom, or (if you’re like me) go outside and soak up some lovely California sunshine. It's been a long time since I sat in a lecture for this many hours. I found myself stretching and going for a walk at just about every break. Thankfully, Yo San is surrounded by multiple restaurants, and a health food store that quite frankly, has taken way too much of my money over the years. Yeah, they’re THAT good and that convenient.

Classes and Instructors 🏫

The lineup of classes was nothing short of impressive. The classes this weekend included all of the current cohorts in one classroom. A total of about 25 total. A good size, but still intimate. I am part of cohort 15, which is made up of 5 students. I personally really enjoy having a smaller group- It really allows for a lot more 1-1 time with your professor.

Rosaleen Ostrick led us through the Scientific Foundations of Acupuncture, diving into the biomedical research and explanations of how Acupuncture works. This is a subject I once didn’t care for. Mainly because I was way more interested in the Qi and energetic connections. But now?! Oh boy, I was open and excited to discuss this topic. There were group breakout sessions. These were very educational for me. I enjoyed hearing all the different perspectives from my colleagues on the very same research paper we all read. For me, these breakout groups shed light on new perspectives, challenges, or a different approach to a study that I hadn't considered. It was a great discussion that really, only Acupuncturists and scientists could nerd out on. Next was Integrative Andrology and Urology with Dr. Austin. We dove into pathologies, labs, analysis, and treatment protocols using acupuncture, herbal formulas, and case studies. Personally, the herbal formulas for me were the most eye-opening. As an acupuncturist who makes custom herbal formulas for patients, I learned so much. Not only conquering fears and hesitancies about dosing but venturing to use new and different formulas and modifications. On day 3 we had Grand rounds aka Case studies. Let me tell you, once upon a time as a student in the master's program, I would simply go through the motions of case studies. Now. having 7 years of real-life clinical experience, case studies were so much fun. Fun? Yes! discussing treatment approaches, looking at labs, and collectively brainstorming a new treatment plan for the patient. Gosh, I loved the case studies portion.

The wealth of knowledge imparted by these instructors left me in awe. There were a few moments from both of these classes that I have thought about multiple times since leaving the classroom. Some are because I learned something new, and others are more inspirational and push me out of my comfort zone.

Orientation Session 🍎

On Sunday, the new students (myself included) enjoyed an intimate orientation session with Dr. Hoffman, the dean of the DAOM and the new CEO of the school. He broke down what the next two years in this program would look like, offered resources, and answered my ten thousand questions. During this session, he began to prepare us for our Capstone. It was very helpful to hear his tips and insight. As you may or may not know, the Capstone is the grand finale of the DAOM. It's been nice to begin to narrow down my topics and think about who I may choose as my advisor for this process.

Looking Ahead ☁️

I can honestly say, weekend one left me excited and wanting more. There were so many 'ah-ha' moments and pearls of wisdom sprinkled throughout each lecture. Even though I was very tired by the end of the weekend, I was very excited to go back to my private practice and share/use this new knowledge with my patients.

And that's a wrap for weekend 1 of 24. ✨