Community Acupuncture is Not Charity
Posted August 23rd, 2007 by Linda inDetroit
I am in the planning stages of opening a community acupuncture clinic. I was attracted to this business model because I want to bring acupuncture to people of average income and because I want to create a successful business that will sustain me throughout my life.
The Money=Qi article has caused quite a stir among the community acupuncture network members. I hate that article, but I understand why it exists. There is so much fear around money in our field. We have all heard of the business failures and how hard it is to make a living practicing acupuncture.
In the Community acupuncture network we often emphasize treating the working and lower middle classes that seem to be invisible to the majority of acupuncturists in this country. Most acupuncturists assume this is an act of charity. I think it needs to be very clear that we are not a network of self sacrificing acupuncturists willing to slave away for pennies, forgo food and decent shelter to give away our services.
Community Acupuncture is a business model based on treating a large number of patients for smaller fees. We all want to make good money, pay our loans, and take care of our kids. My goal is to create a financially successful and emotionally fulfilling practice. I believe community acupuncture is the way to achieve that.
Re: Community Acupuncture is Not Charity
thank you Sandy
Re: Community Acupuncture is Not Charity
To be honest, I just don't see that CA is getting a bad rap. There are lots of members of CAN, standing room only at some or most of the conferences. People are fascinated by what CAN has to say and the many successes of CA clinics.
This is precisely the bone I have to pick with how people in what I consider to be an alternative movement trying to change the world: how we write and express ourselves. If we continually focus on the poorly written, nasty articles making a poor jab at what we hold dear, we compromise our message. When we focus on getting very clear about what we want to put out there, and put it out there in a positive way, we will continue to not only build a movement but also to build community and create harmonious alternatives within the acupuncture community.
What I am trying to figureout for myself is how to object to things that I disagree with in a way that promotes harmony. I see it as my words being the needle into the conversation.
The way I see it, I give power to something with my words. If I laugh at something, don't take it seriously, it is still possible for me stand up for what I believe in at the same time by creating something that I believe in and encouraging it to flourish (say for example the fine folks at WCA who have not only built a wonderful clinic for themselves, but also an incredible movement and opportunity for many others to do what they do).
Remember, acupuncture is a jab well done.
tee hee hee.
Sandy from Maine
Re: Community Acupuncture is Not Charity
I'm finally seeing 45 + a week in my CA and can see the day when I can give up my day job. Never had that hope doing private practice.
In my opionion, doing CA is the only hope for L Acs to support themselves at acupuncture.
Ann
Re: Community Acupuncture is Not Charity
Many practitioners in private practice are struggling to make a living. That is a scary place to be. It's human nature for a desperate person to be less responsive to social justice issues. A struggling practitioner is more vulnerable to Money=Qi type articles. They may plan to do charity after they are rich.
In the forum I read that practitioners who switch from private to group treatments tend to make the same or more money. I feel it's important to advertise that a bit.
Lisa's Acupuncture Today series does a wonderful job of going through the social justice and money making aspects of community acupuncture, but people new to the CAN sight need to go far enough to read those links.
Re: Community Acupuncture is Not Charity
I didn't go into acupuncture to earn truckloads of cash, but it was my intention to make a good living. In my naivete as an acupuncture student I did the math - $60 hr x 25 hours a week = wow! The reality isn't like that of course; most LAc's don't see 25 people a week. For my first 3 years in private practice I saw 0-5 clients a week.
Right now I work about 20-25 hours a week doing CA and see about 50 clients in that time, making at least $60/hr when I'm full. I'm making more money than I've ever earned, ever! To me that is a truckload of cash. I started paying my student loans after an eternity of deferment & forbearance and I'm doing what I love.
I think that the CA movement gets a bad rap because at first glance it is not obvious that you will be earning about the same per hour as BA with the added potential of having a flourishing and successful practice.
Re: Community Acupuncture is Not Charity
I encourage my fellow practitioners to add to this rather vague post. In this public blog space there is a lot of emphasis on the warm fuzzies of accessibility. I wonder if we may be losing people who assume we don't care about earning money.