About this episode

The episode explores the origins of acupuncture in America through the experiences of Bill Prensky and Gene Bruno.

Part One. How does a profession begin? Not on paper. Not with licensing boards or schools. Often enough, it starts with a handful of curious people who become convinced there's another way to do things. Part determination, part serendipity, and perhaps a good measure of luck. Bill Prensky and Gene Bruno were there before acupuncture had a place in American healthcare. In the wake of the Vietnam War, student protests, and a generation questioning nearly everything, they walked away from academic research that no longer made sense to them. Their Tai Chi teacher, Marshall Ho, introduced them to Dr. Kim, who reluctantly agreed to teach a small group that in time became like family. What followed is equal parts history and improbable story: treating patients at the Crossroads of the World, translating across languages, creating lecture series just to afford tuition, traveling with their teacher, and helping establish the first legal and educational footholds for acupuncture. Listen in to this conversation on trading a graduate education for a study that didn’t have a syllabus, credentialing or degree, helped acupuncture to find its footing in America.

People in this episode

Host: Michael Max

Guests: Bill Prensky, Gene Bruno

Topics covered

• acupuncture
• history of medicine
• alternative healthcare
• Tai Chi
• empirical science

Keywords

• acupuncture
• history
• Tai Chi
• alternative medicine
• empirical science
• healthcare

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