SERVICES BY INTERN LEVEL

Senior Level Acupuncture Intern Practitioner
Level Three: 1 hour & 15 minutes • $40

You will see an intern who is close to graduating, along with their experienced supervisor. Many Senior Interns have developed specialties and have streamlined their appointments to give you as much individual attention as possible. Observation students may be present at this level.

Level Two: 2 hours • $30
You will see a pair of interns who have already been practicing for a year, along with their experienced supervisor. Supervisors are present during treatment for Level Two.

Junior Level Acupuncture Intern Practitioner
Level One: 2 hours • $25

You will be seeing a team of interns plus their supervisor. Because you’re seeing a team, each person will notice different aspects of your case and have innovative ideas, so you can be sure of a well-rounded, meticulous, and effective treatment.

Observation: Professional Treatment with Student Observers
Level One: 2 hours • $15

Our most financially accessible treatment is performed by a clinical supervisor with a team of observing clinical interns. This is an amazing opportunity to get treatment by an advanced practitioner for $5.

VISITING CAMPUS & COVID-19 SAFETY

We have carefully re-opened our doors to Acupuncture treatments by aligning our protocols with the recommendations of the CDC, the State of California, Alameda County and City of Berkeley to allow our patients to receive the benefits & care of in-person Chinese Medicine treatments.

We are screening all patients for symptoms of COVID-19 and cannot treat patients with new, acute symptoms of COVID-19. If you have chronic symptoms such as cough, difficulty breathing, nasal congestion, or headaches due to a chronic condition and not COVID-19, you may notify the Front Desk & submit a negative COVID-19 test in order to be seen in our clinic. To contact the Front Desk, email frontdesk@aimc.edu.

If you are experiencing a new cough, fever, new loss of sense of taste or smell, shortness of breath, or other COVID-19 associated symptom, please schedule a Telehealth Consult rather than an in-person appointment.

Before Arriving on Campus

You will receive a screening survey from our Electronic Health Record system before your appointment to ask pre-screening questions about possible COVID-19 exposure or symptoms. We require anyone coming on campus to sign a COVID-19 Self-Assessment & Consent to be on Campus form each time they arrive. If you are able to print this and sign before arriving, please do so. We will have copies available on campus.

On Campus

Before entering the building, we require a temperature check and a visual check to ensure that you are wearing an appropriate face mask. We require a mask which covers the nose and mouth in a form-fitted way & does not require the individual to touch the covering. Examples of unacceptable face coverings include bandanas, scarves, or valve-equipped masks. We will offer disposable surgical face masks for those in need.

Upon entry, you will be required to use hand sanitizer provided at the entrance & sign the COVID-19 Self-Assessment & Consent to be on Campus form if you have not already done so online.

Your Clinic Intern will lead you directly to the treatment space. Your care team will be wearing face masks for the duration of your treatment.

After Treatment

Please leave the building through the designated exit. Your Clinic Interns will complete a thorough disinfection of all surfaces and the treatment space in preparation for our next patient. Our safety plan includes a comprehensive protocol for communication & contact tracing should someone on campus test positive for COVID-19. Per our Self Screening & Consent to be on Campus Form, if you, someone in your household, or someone you are in close contact with shows signs of COVID-19, please contact your healthcare provider or visit the Alameda County Public Health Department website to schedule a free COVID-19 test. Please notify the AIMC Clinic Director, clinicdirector@aimc.edu, of your symptoms, date of onset, and intention to test for COVID-19. Your personal identification information will be kept private from the wider school and public as our Clinic Director privately identifies & notifies the interns & supervisors potentially exposed so that we can enact isolation & protective measures immediately.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Appointments range from 1 to 2 hours long. During your first visit, our Clinic Intern Practitioners will complete a thorough health history & examination of your primary concerns. Using this interview as well as an assessment of your pulses & tongue, your Intern(s) will craft a Chinese Medicine diagnosis & treatment plan.

Once the diagnosis & treatment are approved by the shift supervisor, your practitioner will share the plan with you & invite you onto the treatment table. You’re encouraged to wear loose, comfortable clothing for the treatment. You may be offered a gown if your practitioner needs greater access to your acupuncture points & meridians.

The Intern will locate & clean any acupuncture points that will be used during treatment. You may notice that the treatment begins even just by this process of touching & palpating the points.

Your practitioner may use a variety of tools & practices during your treatment:

• Acupuncture
• Acupressure
• Massage: Tui Na or Shiatsu
• Moxibustion
• Cupping
• Gua Sha
• E-Stim on Acupuncture Points

If there is a particular style or method of treatment you’re interested in, ask your practitioner if it is right for your case.

After treatment, you may experience a sense of relaxation, bliss, or higher energy depending on the nature of your treatment. It is helpful to the course of treatment for you to drink water & get enough rest. It is possible though rare to experience some soreness or bruising after treatment. Cupping & gua sha treatments create dark marks that look like bruises but are usually not painful. They may take up to two weeks to fully disappear. Feel free to contact your Practitioner or Supervisor if you are curious about an experience after treatment.

ABOUT THE INTERNS

AIMC Berkeley’s highly talented and professional Clinic Intern Practitioners are a multifaceted team of compassionate and motivated individuals ranging in age from twenties to sixties and possessing diverse backgrounds and professional goals. Each Intern has more information available on our booking platform, Jane, if you’re curious about their individual backgrounds & clinic curiosities.

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