Southern California University of Health Sciences College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine

Mission Statement

The mission of Southern California University of Health Sciences is:

• To educate and train students to confidently assume a role of the first contact, primary care provider.
• To create and support a research culture focusing on alternative health care.
• To promote life-long professional development.
• To foster global acceptance of alternative health care.

Through its educational programs, SCUHS hopes to impart tomorrow’s alternative health care practitioners with a sense of responsibility and leadership that will carry on for generations to follow. The school remains committed to providing learning opportunities that will:

• Establish knowledge, values and attitudes necessary to be successful practitioners;
• Develop the clinical, interpersonal and psychomotor skills essential to practice;
• Enhance problem solving and critical thinking skills as they apply to the analysis of information leading to a diagnosis;
• Instill a commitment to conscientious care with a sense of compassion and sympathetic understanding;
• Encourage cooperation with other health care disciplines in order to provide continuity and comprehensive patient care;
• Develop a commitment to, and capacity for, life-long learning;
• Impart responsibility and sensitivity to the socio-economic, psychosocial and cultural environment of those served;
• Encourage students and faculty to pursue endeavors in education and research; and
• Increase professional knowledge, skills and behaviors necessary to respond to and influence current and future health care trends through postgraduate education.

History

Southern California University of Health Sciences began in 1911 as the Los Angeles College of Chiropractic. It changed its name following the opening of the school's College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine in 2000. The acupuncture program is currently a candidate for accreditation from the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. It was designated a candidate in May 2003, and became fully accredited in October 2005.

Programs Offered

SCUHS offers a Master of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine degree, which requires 2,865 hours of study, including 900 clinic hours. Included in the degree curriculum are nine "abilities": effective communication; diagnostic; skills reason-based use of science and evidence in practice; patient-centered disease management; illness prevention and wellness focus; lifelong learning; problem solving; personal and professional growth and maturity; and sociocultural and community contextual sensitivity.

Contact Information

For more information on Southern California University of Health Sciences, contact:

Southern California University of Health Sciences
16200 East Amber Valley Drive
PO Box 1166
Whittier, CA 90604
Tel: (562) 947-8755
Fax: (562) 947-5724
E-mail:
Web site: www.scuhs.edu