Acupuncturist in Maternity Day Unit, Whittington Hospital/Asante Academy of Chinese MedicineI liked the course on offer at Middlesex University.
It was the course that attracted me to Middlesex University and what I particularly liked about the BSc Traditional Chinese Medicine course was the fact it offered clinical placements with a few NHS hospitals around London. I believe that having industry experience is more important than just studying the theory in a book.
I went on to study an MSc at Middlesex as I really liked the fact the course offered an internship abroad. I thought this would provide me with a great opportunity to learn and travel at the same time.
I really enjoyed my clinical placement on the BSc course and my internship abroad while studying for my MSc.
The fact that I made a lot of good friends at Middlesex University and we all still keep in touch.
Don't be shy – make sure you are proactive about meeting and engaging with other students and your tutors.
People are generally very friendly and willing to help so if you have any questions or issues adapting to your new environment, seek out help. Never feel that you have to deal with problems alone.
My clinical placements in the UK and abroad and the hands-on experience they provided improved my confidence hugely. I learnt to speak to a wide range of patients and deal with them in a professional and calm manner.
As a result, I now work in Whittington Hospital's Maternity Acupuncture service and feel confident dealing with people of all background. I also enjoy sharing my knowledge and experience with the ladies visiting the service (of course only if we have enough time to talk!) and they love it!
I was always interested in how alternative therapies can be used to improve people's health.
Chinese Medicine offers patients is a compelling alternative to Western medicine and provides people with other ways in which to manage their health and well-being. It includes nutritional medicine, etc.
The main pro is that it is such wonderful feeling when you see a patient's condition improving after treatment. We sometimes receive cards from the ladies we have treated after they delivered the baby.
The biggest con is probably the fact that it can be very intensive and pressured during working hours.
I was very lucky as my supervisor put me forward for my current position.
I am hoping to start my own clinic one day and we will see from there.
Take initiative, believe in yourself and be confident!
