Yo San University invites you to begin your journey with us.

Year One: Discover the Medicine

Like anything new, your first year at Yo San is one of discovery and challenge. Your day may begin with an Introduction to Qi Development, a survey course in Medical History, or Western Medical Terminology. Next you might have Introduction to Meridians or Fundamentals of Chinese Herbology. Towards evening you may attend a Taoism lecture, followed by an animated group discussion.

What initially seemed unfamiliar will soon become a way of life.

It will be second nature for you to consider everything from seasons to symptoms in terms of yin and yang. You will be learning the language of Chinese medicine along with your classmates--your companions on this educational journey.

Year Two: An Accumulation Year

Observe the Medicine with the basics under your belt, you begin your second year by building on the fundamentals and learning to apply your knowledge.

By the end of the second year, you are halfway through the program. Qigong exercise will be a part of your daily routine. You will have studied Biochemistry, Medical Physics, Western Nutrition, TCM Diagnosis, and Acupuncture Anatomy and Therapeutics as you prepare for the challenges of encountering patients in a clinical setting.

Year Three: A Transitional Year – Apply the Medicine

You have now advanced to the point of hands-on practice. Your study will include Tuina acupressure massage, Acupuncture Techniques and Western Clinical Medicine and you will expand your study of Herbal Formulas. You may take a patient's blood pressure in one class and insert needles in the next. In practical classroom exercises you will integrate your knowledge of both western and eastern medicine. You will learn by observing skilled practitioners and interns, and also by doing.

For your Observation Internship you will don a white coat and step into the examining room. You will observe interns treating patients under the guidance of experienced clinic supervisors in many different settings--from Yo San's own teaching clinic, to a classroom Clinical Theater, to the highly-coveted rotation at the Ni's 'Tao of Wellness' clinic in Santa Monica.

Your classes in Law and Ethics and Practice Management will introduce you to the realities of running and marketing your own business. As part of your professional development, you will have opportunities to work at community outreach events, write papers, and give public lectures to gain fluency in explaining Chinese medicine to new audiences--your future patients.

Year Four: The Internship – Become the Medicine

Your fourth and final year at Yo San University represents a metamorphosis--as a practice intern you will apply all the skills and knowledge you have acquired to treat your own patients, working with experienced supervisors, using acupuncture, herbs, nutritional counseling, and other modalities.

In addition to working with different supervisors, you will have the chance to discuss difficult cases with your classmates in Case Study class.

Yo San's community clinic functions as a testing ground for your future practice. Your experiences will include mastering office protocol, training in the most up-to-date health regulations, making presentations to civic and local groups, and educating the public about the benefits of TCM. You will also have the opportunity to bring Chinese medicine to underserved communities through Yo San's off-site externship programs at the Venice Family Clinic, the largest free clinic in the United States, and Being Alive, an AIDS/HIV healing center in West Hollywood.

The end of the internship brings a new kind of life. You will prepare to sit for the California and/or national licensing examinations so you can proudly call yourself a "licensed acupuncturist" and practice the medicine. The academic and real-world training you receive at Yo San will prepare you to meet these challenges.