A NEW PRACTITIONER’S EXPERIENCE OF THE 2023 AAC CONFERENCE

Maddy Carey

Launching a new career is daunting in any profession, but starting as an acupuncturist must be up there with the most challenging – all-encompassing yet rewarding.

As with most of my cohort (fondly known as 20.1) from CICM (College of Integrated Chinese Medicine), Reading, I came to acupuncture after a few different forays in my career. Seeking a new direction and a profession I could love, we started our acupuncture degree programme in April 2020, just as the first Covid-19 lockdown took hold. We were the first year that trialled the ‘hybrid learning’ model and in fact we didn’t meet in person until about six months after the programme commenced – I recall thinking ‘You looked taller on Zoom!’

The learning itself was a whirlwind of three and a half years; endeavouring to take in as much of this new and puzzling theory that is Chinese Medicine, I didn’t give much thought or worry as to what would happen after we had graduated.

Qualifying in June 2023, I decided that – before embarking on launching – to give myself a bit of a summer break, something we didn’t manage to get much of during our studies. After searching for a little while for a space to set up my own treatment room, I started officially practicing in October in Hackney, East London.

Launching my new business, I am the sole business owner, wearing the hats of every department from finance through to marketing, and yet I am also aiming to develop myself as a practitioner. I am acutely aware how ‘green’ I am and that my studies and experience to date are only the start of a lifelong journey with this medicine. This is an overwhelming combination and leads to creeping voices such as ‘I wonder if they’ll book again next week? Did I post on Instagram this week? Should I be offering my discounted rates to my friends still?’

I have found that with the importance of social media in building an acupuncture business, it increases self-doubt in new practitioners. You can find yourself thinking that you’re not doing enough, or that others are more successful because they have more followers, post great content, are seeing more patients, etc. It can be a lonely place, something very unfamiliar after the relative comfort of study – who would have thought we’d see the final year at CICM as relative comfort?

The AAC (Association of Acupuncture Clinicians) annual conference couldn’t have come at a better time, just when some support and inspiration were needed. Greeted by a host of smiling faces, in the beautiful setting of Mary Ward House in Central London, the space was perfect for the day. Endless teas and coffees and an array of exhibitors to chat to before and after the conference. It was a lovely chance to catch up with some familiar faces from my studies, everyone eager to hear how they were getting on and chatting through our experiences of the past few months.

The opportunity on the day to meet new, and more established, practitioners was such a treat. If you work on your own, the chance to interact with other acupuncturists is incredibly limited. I wished there was a little more opportunity to have more conversation with other members there, though the wine mixer at the end of the day allowed for a good natter.

The highlight of the day for me was to listen to all the amazing speakers, some of whom I only knew of from research and textbooks. Removing the fear of treating those with cancer with Beverley De Valois, the foundations of five-element acupuncture with Gerad Kite and the incredible acupuncture work that Anne Gledhill performs in obstetrics.

As I have come to understand about the AAC, it is run as a transparent and engaging group, and all members had the opportunity to interact with the Working Board in an open and forward-thinking question and answer session.

Ideas for the future conferences? Perhaps this is most relevant as I am a new practitioner, but I find chatting to other acupuncturists so rewarding. It is inspiring hearing about others’ journeys and how they have established themselves in the profession. More opportunity to do this in an informal capacity, either at these conferences or perhaps some local groups would be a great support for new practitioners.

It would also be useful to be at the forefront of any trends in the industry – perhaps a member survey or similar research could be carried out by the AAC and then shared with members. Even simple questions such as: ‘Where do you find your patients?’ ‘Have you noticed any changes in the main complaint of patients’? ‘How much do you charge for a session?’ ‘What software do you use?’ All this data would be incredibly helpful for new practitioners to focus their practice.

Overall, the experience was excellent, well-organised and inspiring for everyone attending and left me feeling re-energised and motivated. Thank you AAC and I’m looking forward to the next one!

Maddy Carey has launched Aida Acupuncture in Hackney, East London, a five-element and TCM acupuncture practice. hello@aida-acupuncture.com