…the Kongress is so well organized and so fun, you know, I think, Oh, they’re just going to be listening to lectures all day, but there are, but there’s great teachers from around the world. And there’s also wonderful social events…
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Hi, I’m Virginia Duran. And this week’s host for another edition of, to the point, very generously, really produced by the American Acupuncture Council. And, uh, today we’re going to be talking about issues around continuing education in this new COVID world and where we might be going in the future and the pros and cons of online learning and issues that are specific to our field when it comes to continuing education. And so I thought who would have more experience with this then? Julia Stier, uh, Julia is the Kongress chair, woman of the international TCM Congress in Rosenberg, Germany, uh, which has been running for 52 years. And I think of it as the, the largest and most prestigious acupuncture conference in the world or in the Western world. I should say. I don’t, I’m not sure what’s done in the East, but, um, she’s very, very capable and has had to pivot last year, uh, in, in, in a couple of weeks time to putting everything online. And so she’s been dealing with these larger issues around the new continuing education sphere. And so I would like to introduce you to Julia and, um, have her tell us about, uh, how we might, um, proceed and solve some of these. So, Julia, thank you so much for taking time to be here. Cause I know you have another Congress coming up in a few weeks and uh, time is already precious.
So thank you. Can you tell us how
You, how you got into the field?
Um, yeah. Yeah. Oh, well, um, my mother is from Taiwan, I’m half Taiwanese. So, um, in my family or no family, the some Chinese doctors already. And so, um, I sort of grew up with Chinese medicine and it was normal and, um, at all plays and, um, when I was, um, um, a young girl at 17 or 18, I, um, had some, um, chronical condition that came up and up again and I had to take a lot of antibiotics and then I went to see a Chinese doctor and she treated me a couple of times and it sort of, it never occurred again. So, um, I was completely convinced and I, um, started learning, um, uh, Chinese medicine. Um, a couple of years later I have, um, studied, um, medicine also. And, um, also I have been working in, um, um, I’ve been, uh, an event manager, um, lots of years. So, um, when this position at the Congress, um, was free, um, I, it sort of everything came together. Everything just fell into place. And so, um, it was, um, sort of, it was supposed to be, I guess, especially well
Having, you know, knowledge of both worlds, uh, you know, some people don’t have the organizational skills to do something like this, but the, the Kongress is so well organized and so fun, you know, I think, Oh, they’re just going to be listening to lectures all day, but there are, but there’s great teachers from around the world. And there’s also wonderful social events where you’re dancing with your, your heroes or your DCM heroes thing. It’s it’s um, it’s and it’s so well balanced with you have things on nutrition, she gung and tie cheese sessions, uh, herbs, a little, you know, there’s some Western, uh, style acupuncture. There’s classical, there’s Japanese, Korean. I don’t know about Taiwanese, but we should have it if we don’t, you don’t, there’s just, it’s so well balanced to really reflect all the aspects of the medicine that I’m, uh, you know, I feel so fortunate to have, uh, presented there a few times and to just even attend. Um, so we do want to know though how you’ve managed to bridge this gap, uh, or, you know, uh, pivot on, you know, how you’ve been doing it and how you have to do it now and love to hear your thoughts about what it might be like in the future. Yeah.
Oh, well, um, last year it was, um, sort of a surprise in Europe. Um, racial, um, became real, um, in, in March I think. And, um, we had the first, um, lockdown light in Germany from middle of March and the Congress was only two months later. So, um, we really didn’t have a lot of time to think, um, or to make plans. So, um, we just decided to take everything online, um, because we thought this was the only possibility something could happen and, you know, tickets were sold already. Everything was booked, everything was planned. And so, um, yeah, we just went straight ahead. We found, um, a partner in net of knowledge. Um, they are a Canadian company, they have this educational platform already and they program, they set us up, um, um, well, um, a site in there on their educational platform. And so, uh, we could start from there and actually most of our speakers, um, were really, really, um, brave too.
They just, and then said, yeah, let’s go. And we try. And, um, some courses, of course, some lectures, um, some workshops, especially the practical clinical workshops. We couldn’t take online. Um, like the palpation based work. It was, we couldn’t really think of any way at that time. And, um, but most of my questions is how do you, how do you accommodate the, these challenges with the, uh, clinical style workshop? Yeah, well, um, what really worked out well is, um, we had, for example, we had, um, this, uh, Japanese speaker, um, he is, um, in his practice in, um, in Japan and he had, we had two lays with them and the translator, um, with him in the translator and, um, he had patients coming in and, um, so, um, all participants, they could watch online. Um, it was all live. Um, they could watch online.
Um, they had a view directly in the practice. Um, the speaker, um, he quit, um, talk to them directly and he could, you know, treat the patient and, um, do the theoretical part before. And then, um, we could just, um, what should him, how he handles things and he could tell, you know, he could demonstrate a lot on the patients and participants always had the possibility to ask questions. And so it was a really interactive, um, way of teaching. Um, although it was only online. Um, but, um, it was not, it was not only, you know, sitting in front of the screen and watching for seven hours a day and not really being able to do something other than just listening. Um, but you could, uh, really actively taking parts, um, and the demonstration of learning. So, um, that was really good. Um, and also, uh, there was this, um, speaker from Italy and she had, um, trainer, baby, um, uh, workshop. So the participants, um, the babies, um, enter the class and, um, they could, um, turn on the cameras. And so, um, the speaker could, uh, you know, uh, the extra, she could watch them the treat their babies and, um, still comment on how they, how they were treating and how they were, you know, doing what they were taught to. So, um, this was, this was really, um, this was really good way of bridging this gap for us.
Yeah. I think it’s very clever your solution. Yeah. One question I had was, uh, how do you manage, um, intellectual property issues? Because it seems to be a kind of epidemic in the field, at least in the U S and, uh, but I shouldn’t say cause every country I teach in within six months, somebody’s teaching my stuff. So it’s not unique to the U S it may be worse here, but, um, it, it, it’s hard with something where a lot of what we’re teaching is in the public domain, but, you know, material or, uh, you know, with an online platform, how do you protect it with this protector on that issue?
Yeah, well, of course, um, we have, uh, um, w we have them, well, we have not, everybody can just come in, you have to, we have only the participants who could, who get the code, um, uh, to get into the workshops. And, uh, we have people actually watching closely and controlling that, not nobody’s in there who doesn’t belong there. And, um, so it’s, it’s, um, similar to, to a live event really. Um, and there’s these controls. And then of course we mock all the, all the slides, all the slides are being marked from the speakers. Um, Mark does theirs and then, um, well in the end, um, it’s really like an, a live course. You also, you will also always have participants there who take photos or, um, make audios or, um, or video recordings. And, um, we have an eye on that and, uh, of course there are certain rules which people have to follow.
And, um, actually of course, um, some of our speakers put their handouts up, uh, upload the handouts before. So participants can, you know, prepare and Donald before, but some of us, because I’m also, uh, you know, fear that the slides or the material, um, will be taken. So, um, they only provide the material to the participants who leave their email address, and maybe they, um, send out the slides after the, um, after the lecture backs. Um, there will always be a small gap. You can’t close at the end. You can’t really well, um, be a hundred percent safe. Um, but we, and what we can all do is, um, have an eye on everything that is going on. And so, um, in Germany that is not, that’s not re re a lot if someone teaches us what, um, uh, material that is known from somewhere else that has been already taught by somewhere else by somebody else, or is really somebody else’s method that they involved. Um, somebody will see it as somebody will always realize.
Yeah, yeah, no, I’m always so impressed how you have such wonderful teachers and, you know, from all over the world, I mean, from Japan and China and Korea and Australia, North America, all over Europe, and probably some places I’m missing, how, how do you there’s, so there’s so much talent, but how do you choose? Um, and, you know, do you have, you have themes, I think yearly themes for the Congress that have a certain topic you want to promote then, then, um, and then you have, you know, people teaching other things too, but it must be a tough decision.
Oh, yes, yes. Oh, there’s so many really good teachers out there. And of course we have, um, we have a lot teachers who, uh, were already, um, um, part of the Congress many, many times, and you know, who we can really rely on and who always, who we, who we know will be sort of a Garand to, you know, um, to, to do a really, really good lecture that is entertaining and still, you know, really well, they have a lot to say. And, um, and then, um, I’m reading a lot of journalists and I’m visiting other congresses. And then of course, I always have an open ear to suggestions such as sun shins. So, um, many people, um, keep, um, send in their proposals and many people have some, you know, some teachers that they propose to us that they say what you might like, and then there’s, um, there’s also a thing of online learning.
Um, there’s this, um, a lot of material on YouTube and other channels, um, nowadays, so I can get a better impression of, um, what the speaker has already been doing. Um, it’s, um, it’s not, um, it’s not taught to find new speakers that are really a lot new challenges. Um, it’s just, yeah, but it’s hard to decide because we only have, you know, we have like, uh, sometimes some years we have 60 speakers, which is a lot, but, um, there are a lot more who we, who couldn’t speak. So yes, it’s a tough to show
Or, and, and with, you know, uh, if you’re, um, also providing the videos afterwards where people who couldn’t attend or people who just, you know, want to, you know, get it all, then you don’t have to worry about like missing, you know, your favorite speaker cause they were at the same time. So there, there are some advantages to the online viewing of the class.
Yes, yes, yes they are. I mean, nothing can, you know, there’s, uh, that the personal it’s it’s missing, of course I’m the person I’m meeting and the dancing, the, you know, social, but, um, what really is a plus a big plus is that you, you buy a day ticket and you don’t only get to see one workshop. Um, you can, and this is something that actually a lot, a lot of people did last year. You can, during the day you can jump between the lectures and you know, what, you don’t have to stay in one lecture all day. And, um, uh, we upload the recordings of the days, um, for a couple of months afterwards. And so, and until the 1st of September, September of this year, you have time. Um, what if you booked? So, um, at 10 days we will get the chance to see 10 courses, 10 lectures, instead of one.
Can you tell us, um, a little bit about the theme and some of the speakers this year and how they can help people can find out more information about it?
Oh yes. Do you find, um, the whole program on a TCM hyphen Congress for the key dot and D E is also an English language, of course. And, um, uh, the thing, well, this year it’s, um, expressions of the metal element. Can you see this? Yeah, very appropriate because of the metal element and it’s about a physical and mental manifestations of skin and respiratory diseases. Um, we have, um, a lot about topic, but also really, um, on, on any other topic you can imagine. And, um, we have learned a lot from last year things that worked really well and we left out things that maybe didn’t work out so well. And, um, all for example, this year we have, um, a live cooking class. So, um, there’s in the handout and there’s a sort of a stopping list and you can go and, um, do your groceries before. And then, um, on the day, um, you can, you can be actually cooking with our teacher. She does this. And then, um, and this is also something we couldn’t do live in an, in an actual kitchen because you can’t put hundred cooks into a kitchen, especially
Okay.
When everybody can do this from their homes and they’re connected.
Well, that’s a great idea. Yeah. Yeah. We’ll miss some of the interacting with your colleagues from all over the world, but you know, that’ll come in the future. And of course it’s really about the, uh, the content of the Kongress. So, um, is there anything else you wanted to say before we close? Yeah.
Um, because you mentioned the, like the interaction we have, um, we have some social gathering, um, um, also online, like, um, um, the fantastic finale, for example, it’s always on, it’s a concert on Saturday nights, um, which is, um, done mostly by us because, and, uh, we did that last year and we have that this year too. Um, it was really nice, you know, it’s, it’s sort of, uh, the same feeling
Yeah. Whoever wants to can turn on the cameras. And we had a long, long chat after the concert and it was hot woman, really, it was nice to see everyone and, you know, at least that for a while. So, um, yes, everyone who was interested can just check out the program and be sure, um, it will, there will be a social interaction to not only, you know, learning on a high level, but also, um, meeting each other in some way.
So everything, but the 2:00 AM drinking with your teachers. We try, maybe that goes lunch. Okay. Well, thank you so much for, uh, being part of the show and we’re so grateful and next week for those that can tune in, we have Matt Callison and Brian Lau as hosts. So, um, really, uh, again,
This is Virginia Duran of luminous beauty.com signing off and thanks to the American Acupuncture Council again, see you soon.