Formed in December 1995, United California Practitioners of Chinese Medicine (UCPCM) is a professional organization consisted mainly of Chinese ethnic acupuncturists in the Northern California. With different origins, different backgrounds, different religions and different factions, these excellent elements of our professionals from different parts of the world, were joined together for one purpose: to form a democratic, just and harmonious organization that is capable of serving our own profession, Chinese practitioners in particular, and promoting Chinese medicine in America.

Now ten years has passed and we are all glad and proud to see that under the strong leadership of the Board and the enthusiastic support from the general membership, UCPCM has overcome one obstacle after another and has thrived into one of the most active, influential and contributory professional institutions here in California. We have made many successes in political, academic, education, public relation, as well as member benefits issues.

In fact, UCPCM is a broad united front of a dozen academic organizations of Chinese medicine. We have made substantial progress in the unification among Chinese practitioners because we had created and developed some new operation systems that not only help us to expand our association, but also provided some useful experience in how to further develop Chinese medicine in foreign countries. For example, Our new organizational principle is: while maintaining strategic partnership relation among all participating institutions by respecting individual small group’s identities, we cultivate a unified common political agenda for all of us; Our new election principle is: the leaders of the association were elected through local districts; Our new democratic system combines general election as well as Board appointing mechanism so the unknown young members will have the opportunity to joint force with the leadership; Our new education principle is: support all sorts of professional educations with the goal that the entry level doctorate degree must be achieved; and Our new political principle is: by supporting CAOMA, we promote the grand unity of our long divided profession into a stronger united front with all the different ethnic groups.

Today, United California Practitioners of Chinese Medicine is one of the largest professional associations in the northern State with a membership of four hundred strong. UCPCM had done a lot of good works for the advancement and benefit of our profession, and Chinese practitioners in particular.

Now the whole nation, the whole world in fact, is in the high tide of so-called “Complementary and Alternative Medicines” era. Acupuncture and Chinese medicine have become the most popular alternative medical modalities in this trend. In order to let more Americans benefit from this age-old healing art, we should continuously advance this medicine by upgrading its education standard and service quality. UCPCM will ultimately be taking the lead in this honorable Endeavour.