Credentials (or a quick guide to all those letters after their names):
Meggan Baumgartner and Lauri McKean both completed Masters degrees in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (MAcOM) in 2006. They are also recognized as “Diplomates in Oriental Medicine” (Dipl. OM) by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM). The NCCAOM confers this designation after meeting the prerequisites for and then successful completion of five modules of national board examinations. Thus, Meggan and Lauri are nationally board certified in both acupuncture and Chinese herbology. Furthermore, both practitioners are Licensed Acupuncturists (LAc) in the State of Idaho. Licensure for practicing in Washington State is pending. They are members of the following professional associations: American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (AAAOM), the Idaho Acupuncture Association, and the Society of Acupuncture Research.

Educational Background:
Meggan and Lauri attended the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine (OCOM) which is recognized as one of the top Chinese medicine schools in the nation. In September of 2006 they completed four years and over 3,500 hours of intensive classroom and clinical work.

OCOM has a very strong academic program with the core curriculum combining a focus in Traditional Chinese Medicine (including an extensive herbal component) with a dual emphasis on biomedicine. This combination aids them in understanding the perspectives of both the Chinese and Western biomedical traditions. Additionally, as part of the school’s East Asian bodywork program, the practitioners studied Shiatsu, Tuina, Sotai, and Reflexology. Finally, outside of the core classes they were able to enrich their experience with a variety of other offerings including: several different styles of acupuncture; classical Chinese medical texts; Taiji and Qigong; pediatrics; patient/practitioner relations; chemical dependency and community health; Chinese and Western nutrition; and research.

Their clinical experience included hundreds of hours observing various practitioners as well as more than 700 hours directly treating patients in the school’s clinic and in public health settings. Some of these clinical hours were completed at the Oregon Health Sciences University’s (OHSU) Richmond Clinic under the dual supervision of a licensed acupuncturist and an MD/medical acupuncturist. For more information about OCOM, please visit www.ocom.edu.

Please note that both Meggan and Lauri are available to give community and professional presentations regarding any facet of Chinese medicine.