When we began our studies in acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), our professors laid out our program as a spiral that builds upon itself, renewing and adding to our knowledge base. In the DAc we went back to the foundations fleshing out concepts we learned in our first quarters even more and in different ways. Then, we built our knowledge of our counterparts and colleges so that we could better refer to their strengths and deal with our weaknesses. This allowing us to advance our profession by integrating with the modern medical field with understanding. The DAc program also brought us the ability to add to our profession's knowledge base by creating professionally scientific, peer reviewed, and TCM-relevant papers to express our practical experiences.

After finishing the master's, one might feel they don't need the DAc, but in my experience, it not only enhances our confidence in the practice of medicine but also gives us tools to integrate and expand our profession's horizons as we expand and integrate into our communities as practitioners.