As the trimester comes to an end, I am very grateful for the relationships I have made along the way. I began the AOM program in 2021 with three remarkable women. One was my partner in Point Location I & II. We were also partners in Tui Na. We were spending a lot of time together and we became great friends. We laughed, cried and stressed together. She switched from ND to AOM, so she was aware of the rigor and the amount of studying it would take to be successful. This was great, because I was not prepared for the sheer number of hours I would need to spend studying. She has since transferred, but we still talk and encourage one another. We are family now!

I met another amazing woman as an observer in the Clinic. She was in her last trimester. I will try to describe her, but honestly words are not enough. She was amazing with her patients and connected with each of them. She is knowledgeable, adept, conscientious, compassionate and of course, brilliant! She graduated Summa Cum Laude. I often tease her and call her my Sensei. Although she has graduated, that was not the end of our friendship. We schedule videoconferencing and text all the time. I will never forget that my Dad passed last trimester, and when I came in to the clinic, she immediately took me in a treatment room and needled Ear Shen Men. She would also clean rooms for me when I was in a daze trying to keep it together–all while handling her patient load.

Now that I am in intern, I met another good friend. She graduated as an ND, and now is completing the AOM program. I mean she is amazing and inspiring! She just became a published author! We encourage each other daily and make sure we are pacing ourselves. We remind each other to take breaks, breathe and laugh. She is further along in the program than I am, so her words of wisdom are appreciated.

NUHS is a place where I have learned not just healing modalities, but the friendships I have made along the way are a balm to my soul! I am beyond grateful for these life-changing friendships.