My college roommate first taught me about Traditional Chinese Medicine. He caught my interest with his phrase, “I unlearn something every day.” He had given me my first taste of alternative medicine. He introduced me to teas, essential oils, and even recommended some reading material on the subject, including “The Complete System of Self-healing: Internal Exercises” by Dr. Stephen Chang, and “The Tao of Health, Sex and Longevity,” by Daniel Reid, about the legend of Li Ching-Yuen, a man who purportedly lived to be over 200 years old. Regardless of whether the legend was true, Traditional Chinese Medicine intrigued me.

 

I began practicing qigong, meditating, and improving my nutrition. I spoke to an Eastern School of Acupuncture and Traditional Medicine (ESATM) alumnus who recommended applying for admission. I began working on my degree in 2012. While there, I seized the opportunity to do an internship/externship at the Veterans Affairs Hospital in East Orange, NJ. I received my Master's Certificate in 2015 and I became a NCCAOM board certified acupuncturist in 2016. I began practicing in March 2016 while I awaited the start of my Herbal Medicine program at Won Institute of Graduate Studies (WON). I recieved my Master's Certificate in Herbal Medicine in 2019. I treated patients with acupuncture as a subcontractor for Allegheny Health Network (AHN) Integrative and Complementary Department at Wexford Health and Wellness Pavilion, Allegheny General Hospital and AHN Cancer Center, from 2020 to 2023. In 2023 I began treating patients with acupuncture as a subcontractor for AHN Pain Clinics in Wexford Health and Wellness Pavilion, Forbes Hospital, and AHN MacMurray.