Julie Ebers
For third year student, Julie Ebers, acupuncture is more than a career, it changed her life. Julie was 16 years old after being struck in the head playing field hockey, injuring her skull and leaving her with permanent nerve damage to the left side of her face. Standard medical solutions including taking various medications for the rest of her life to control the symptoms, was not appealing to Julie. In a search for alternatives, her mother found acupuncture for pain management and they gave it a chance. “I was very skeptical of acupuncture at first. I wasn’t sure how needles could help with the pain, but after one treatment I was convinced.” She received treatments weekly at first for a few months and then began spacing the treatments farther apart as the pain relief lasted longer and longer. Now she receives treatment seasonally and her symptoms are kept under control, letting her enjoy life without the need for medications.
Even before her injury, Julie had wanted to practice medicine, but during her first experience in a Philadelphia area hospital, she felt something was missing. “I wasn’t getting a complete relationship with patients like I would as an acupuncturist. I realize that there is so much more to healing than just identifying a disease. With acupuncture, I am able to treat a patient’s body, mind and spirit- all of which play an important role in a patient’s pathology.”
As a student at the Won Institute, Julie is fulfilling her ambition to practice an Eastern approach to medicine. Currently, she is learning multiple styles of acupuncture and is enrolled in the Chinese Herbal Medicine program as well. “Adding the herbal credentials to my education really brings the whole practice of Eastern medicine together. I love it and to see patients results is very rewarding!”
Julie, like other students enrolled in the Won Institute’s accredited three-year Master’s Degree program, gains a comprehensive understanding of Chinese Medical Theory and the ancient and modern uses of acupuncture. They are all dedicated to treating and helping others while developing their own identity as acupuncturists and crafting their own treatment regimens with guidance from our diverse, globally renowned faculty. This experience gives students like Julie the confidence to effectively treat patients in their own practices.