Oregon College of Oriental Medicine
Encyclopedia
The Oregon College of Oriental Medicine (OCOM), located in Portland, Oregon
, United States
, offers master's and postgraduate doctoral degrees in acupuncture
and Oriental medicine
. OCOM's programs are accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
and authorized by the Oregon Student Assistance Commission
's Office of Degree Authorization to award Master of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine and Doctor of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine degrees.
, Chinese herbal medicine, tuina
, and shiatsu
patient treatments are offered annually by the clinic, which also serves as a teaching facility for the college. OCOM has an active research department, and has received substantial research grants from the National Institutes of Health
/NCCAM.
Current OCOM research projects include a collaborative grant with the University of Arizona
to study temporomandibular joint disorder
.
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, offers master's and postgraduate doctoral degrees in acupuncture
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a type of alternative medicine that treats patients by insertion and manipulation of solid, generally thin needles in the body....
and Oriental medicine
Oriental medicine
Oriental medicine is a collective term for several types of medicine practiced in the Orient and/or the East.Under Oriental medicine is understood:* Traditional Chinese medicine* Traditional Korean medicine* Kampo...
. OCOM's programs are accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
The Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine is the national accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to accredit Master's-level programs in the acupuncture and Oriental medicine profession...
and authorized by the Oregon Student Assistance Commission
Oregon Student Assistance Commission
The Oregon Student Assistance Commission , established by the Oregon Legislature in 1959, is primarily charged with administering student financial aid programs, and through its Office of Degree Authorization, authorizing and regulating the granting of degrees by institutions within the U.S. state...
's Office of Degree Authorization to award Master of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine and Doctor of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine degrees.
History
The school was founded in 1983. In July 2005, OCOM became the first college to graduate a cohort of Doctors of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. The college announced plans in July 2009, to move from Portland's eastside to an old building in downtown's Old Town district. The building is to be renovated and expanded at a cost of up to $15 million, with the school planning to move to the new site in Fall 2010.Departments
OCOM also operates an Intern Teaching Clinic and herbal dispensary, serving the Portland metropolitan area. More than 20,000 low cost acupunctureAcupuncture
Acupuncture is a type of alternative medicine that treats patients by insertion and manipulation of solid, generally thin needles in the body....
, Chinese herbal medicine, tuina
Tui na
Tui na , is a form of Chinese manipulative therapy often used in conjunction with acupuncture, moxibustion, fire cupping, Chinese herbalism, t'ai chi, and qigong....
, and shiatsu
Shiatsu
Shiatsu is Japanese for "finger pressure;" it is a type of alternative medicine consisting of finger and palm pressure, stretches, and other massage techniques. There is no scientific evidence proving that shiatsu can treat any disease, but shiatsu practitioners promote it as a way to help people...
patient treatments are offered annually by the clinic, which also serves as a teaching facility for the college. OCOM has an active research department, and has received substantial research grants from the National Institutes of Health
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health are an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and are the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research. Its science and engineering counterpart is the National Science Foundation...
/NCCAM.
Current OCOM research projects include a collaborative grant with the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
to study temporomandibular joint disorder
Temporomandibular joint disorder
Temporomandibular joint disorder , or TMJ syndrome, is an umbrella term covering acute or chronic inflammation of the temporomandibular joint, which connects the mandible to the skull. The disorder and resultant dysfunction can result in significant pain and impairment...
.