AOM Resident Sue Yang Gets Well-Rounded Training at Bastyr University

The first year of residency in the acupuncture and Oriental medicine (AOM) program at Bastyr Center for Natural Health (the university’s teaching clinic) has taught Sue Yang, MS, LAc, a lot. But much of what she’s learned is unexpected.

“I’ve learned a lot about communication skills,” she says. “I’ve had to decide how to handle situations in a very on-the-spot, in-the-moment fashion.”

For Yang, this is a desirable outcome, as she is training to become a teacher. Overseeing students at Bastyr Center can sometimes be challenging, but she has grown from the experience. “I’ve learned how to be diplomatic in certain situations, to be direct when I have to, when to be strict and when to go with the flow. There are so many different personalities to deal with.”

The AOM residency at Bastyr is designed for graduates of AOM programs who want to teach or train at some point. But its other purpose is to further graduates’ clinical skills and knowledge about AOM. “I’ve learned from patients, students and faculty,” says Yang.

In addition to being the supervising clinician during patient visits, another part of the residency is the option to practice in Resident Care, the private practice division for residents at Bastyr Center. Through this experience, Yang has been able to see the results of her own treatments, as opposed to treatments that students administer.

Just winding up her first year of residency, Yang will start her second year of residency in the fall. She is one of four AOM residents chosen as residents next year.

Being of Chinese ancestry, Yang has always been exposed to Chinese medicine. Yang was born in Taiwan and her family moved to Seattle when she was 5 years old. She attended Shorewood High School and then University of Washington, majoring in Asian languages and literature.

Yang considered studying acupuncture but was deterred, because she thought her only option was to study in China. Then, in 1996, she was struck with severe back pain that interfered with walking and hindered her sleeping. Western medical doctors told her to take Aleve, but she soon tired of popping pills. Yang went to see a chiropractor for an adjustment, and the receptionist just happened to be enrolled in an acupuncture program in Seattle. “That’s the first time I realized there are three acupuncture schools right here in Seattle,” she says.

She began researching schools and decided to attend Bastyr University. She interviewed in June of 1997 and started the master’s program in September of 1997. “It happened fast,” she says. The story of her back has a happy ending too, as the pain disappeared with the combination of chiropractic work and acupuncture.

Yang has found the program to be challenging but exciting. “For me, it was actually fun to study AOM,” she says. “I’m glad I chose Bastyr University because it’s focused on giving you a solid understanding of Western sciences.” She also appreciated the chance to complete the China externship in her senior year. She spent two months in China receiving extensive herbal training. She was so impressed that she arranged to return to China and study for six months at Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. “It was absolutely amazing,” she says. “I trained Monday through Saturday for six months, seeing patients and training with chief doctors in the acupuncture departments of four different hospitals.”

Yang highly recommends the China experience. “I really encourage students to go to China with Bastyr,” she says. “It’s all set up for you, and you get a lot of exposure to Chinese medicine.”

She also recommends becoming a teacher’s assistant (TA). She found that serving as a TA reinforced the information she was learning through repeating it to students while also developing her teaching skills.

After her second year of residency, Yang plans to apply to the new doctorate in AOM (DAOM) program at Bastyr. This three-year program will add research skills to her repertoire. “If I pursue the doctorate, I can either go into teaching, oncology or research. We have a lot of Chinese faculty with a lot of knowledge and wisdom to offer. I’ve tapped their knowledge some, but not enough yet, because there’s so much.”

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