Life in the teaching clinic with our clinic supervisors
Clinical practice is at the centre of your NCA acupuncture training and you will complete 400 hours in clinic by the end of your studies. Throughout the course you put into practice everything you are learning in class with real patients in our vibrant acupuncture clinic, including a multi-bed clinic. The clinic, open Monday to Friday, really is the beating heart of the NCA, and the amount of time you spend in clinic increases as you grow in knowledge and confidence. During a typical day in clinic you will work with students from different year groups under supervision of one of our dedicated and experienced Clinic Supervisors treating a wide range of patients.
The role of a clinic supervisor at the college
The supervisors' job is to ensure a dynamic and supportive learning environment for the students when they are in clinic. This is done through encouraging students to get involved as much as their learning, experience and confidence allows and provide whatever support is necessary to build on this. One of the most rewarding aspects of our supervisors' job is seeing how the students develop over their years of study and eventually graduate as competent and confident practitioners.
How we build students’ clinical experience over the course
First year students have a gentle introduction to the clinical environment where they have opportunities to participate in teamwork and observe treatment sessions. Their primary learning and responsibility in clinic are to create and maintain a safe and hygienic clinical environment. Second year students get more involved in hands-on learning where they have opportunities to take consultations and apply non-invasive interventions (e.g. moxa, cupping, massage) on patients. They participate in clinical discussion and apply their classroom knowledge in the clinical setting. Towards the middle of their second year, they start needling patients under direct supervision. Final year students provide complete care for patients, from consultation, diagnosis and creating treatment plans to delivering treatment, under the support and supervision of the clinic supervisors.
Hear from a couple of our graduates about their experience in clinic
Siwan Morus - graduate
Tell us about your experience in Clinic
"Clinic experience is the highlight of the course for me. Real patients, real problems, real acupuncture. It’s where we get to put all the theory we learn in lectures into practice. I’m in my third year now so I do full consultations and treatments. It’s challenging but there is always the reassuring presence of the supervisors to help us through the more complex cases."
What made you decide to study acupuncture?
"I’m a Tai Chi and Qigong practitioner so I was already interested in looking at health from a Chinese perspective. Acupuncture was the next step for me in terms of learning about these arts, about my own health and feeling that I have a useful skill to offer other people."
Are you starting to think about plans for when you complete your training?
"Yes, I’d like to set up a multibed clinic so that I can provide affordable acupuncture. I may do home visits too. I’m excited to get started!"
Charlotte Cleminson – graduate
How have you developed in clinic over your training?
"Clinic provides the context to all of the theory that underpins your acupuncture training. Through working with patients I have gained a deeper understanding of how to look at a person’s health through the lens of Chinese medicine. During my time in clinic I have gained experience in conducting lengthy consultations and using the information gathered to form detailed treatment plans. I have seen the success of treating the patient and their symptoms through a holistic approach. I have been able to locate and needle acupuncture points as well as support the patients with many of the different options within an acupuncturist’s toolkit such as moxa, gua-sha and electro-acupuncture."
Can you share a success story of a successful treatment you have been involved in?
"Working in an acupuncture clinic is incredibly rewarding. When you are part of patients’ healing journeys over a course of treatments you are able to see the real impact acupuncture can have on a person’s quality of life. We recently treated an elderly lady who had been suffering from knee pain and was no longer able to be active, and in particular gardening, her passion. From a course of treatments her knee pain reduced considerably which meant she was able to continue the things she enjoyed. She was incredibly grateful for the support we had provided and felt we had made a real difference to overall wellbeing. This is just one example of many, across a broad range of symptoms, where I’ve seen the benefits of acupuncture in action."
