This is part two of Katherine Berry’s guest post. In case you missed part one you can catch up here and watch Katherine’s video with her thoughts on the recent International TCM Kongress held in Germany.

Katherine Berry:

Inspired by Europe’s largest annual acupuncture and Chinese medicine conference last month, I have an idea!

We establish a mentoring system whereby students and new graduates work alongside experienced practitioners ala Apprentice / Master. And in exchange, the students teach/ coach experienced practitioners in the use of technology and social media.

Social media isn’t just about marketing. It’s about raising public awareness, offering targeted education, changing perceptions and engaging in broader discussions and debates about professional issues. By not participating, the ‘leaders’ of our profession are withholding valuable knowledge and experience that could be shared widely, beyond geographical borders – and which could be the key to consolidating our foothold in the healthcare landscape.

Chances are if you’re reading this blog, you’re already engaged in social media and online discussions. So will you help me?

Next time you’re at a workshop, conference or event and you meet a practitioner who says “I don’t know how to use Facebook” or “I don’t get twitter”… Arrange to meet them for a coffee to talk it through and help them get set up.

I think technology is amazing. What I learned from Rothenburg is that our profession is amazing too. Let’s combine the two and see what sort of magic happens!

Katherine Berry is an Australian acupuncturist now living in Spain. Katherine is passionate about using technology to advance the acupuncture profession by hosting webinars and online symposiums with ‘acupuncture professional’ (@AcuProfessional).

Her role as Vice President of the Acupuncture Now Foundation demonstrates her commitment to raising public awareness about the benefits of acupuncture through initiatives such as The Jolt Files podcasts on iTunes. When she’s not traveling the world meeting practitioners and students, teaching or running workshops, she enjoys seeing patients in her seaside village S’Argamassa on the Mediterranean island of Ibiza.