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Pacific Rim College

Complementary & Integrative Medicine

Pacific Rim College is a government (PCTIA) accredited academic institution of complementary and integrative medicine located on Vancouver Island in beautiful Victoria, British Columbia. The college was founded to provide world-class education, modern research opportunities and premier clinical services in a variety of medical modalities including Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, Western Herbal Medicine, Holistic Nutrition, Yogatherapy and Integrative Health.

Featured Instructor

Dr. Linda Gilkeson earned a PhD in Entomology from McGill University in 1986, then moved to British Columbia to work for Applied Bio-Nomics Ltd., a company that produces biological controls. From 1991 to 2002 she worked for the provincial government, promoting programs to reduce and eliminate pesticide use. She has co-authored pest management training manuals for the government and organic gardening books for Rodale Press. She self-published two books: Year Around Harvest: Winter Gardening on the Coast and West Coast Gardening: Natural Insect, Weed and Disease Control. Her most recent book, Backyard Bounty: The Complete Guide to year-Round Organic Gardening in the Pacific Northwest, has become a BC best seller.

As a private consultant, Dr. Gilkeson is a regular instructor in the Master Gardener programs in BC and is busy year around giving workshops on pest management and organic gardening. She has served as President of the Entomological Society of Canada, the Professional Pest Management Association of BC, the Entomological Society of BC and the Salt Spring Island Garden Club. She was awarded a Queen's Jubilee medal in 2003 and an outstanding achievement award from the Professional Pest Management Association of BC in 2005. more>>

Featured Student

Lauren Truscott was born and raised in Victoria, BC, where she spent her childhood climbing trees and her teenage years making beauty products from fruit and herbs. Before discovering her love of herbal medicine at Pacific Rim College, Lauren studied nursing, biology (organic chemistry and microbiology), philosophy and nutrition at Camosun College, UVic and UBC. Apart from natural healing, one of Lauren's passions is animal welfare. Animal testing by pharmaceutical companies was one of the many reasons she avoids using conventional medications and became interested in the healing properties of herbs and the prophylactic benefits of good nutrition. She is now in her last semester of the Diploma of Phytotherapy program at PRC and hopes to use her knowledge to become a professional medical herbalist and help people stay or become healthy.

Featured Alumni

Jennifer Ramos is a Registered Acupuncturist, certified Yoga instructor, and Holistic Practitioner. She cultivated a natural curiosity about the human experience and alternative medicine growing up on a small island off of Northern Vancouver Island. Always fascinated by ancient civilizations, she spent years traveling, working and living in Asia Pacific, which deepened her interest in Eastern traditional cultures and belief systems. Taking these interests to the classroom, Jennifer completed the Pacific Rim Diploma program at Langara College in Vancouver and went on to study Anthropology and Human Geography at UBC. She graduated with a Diploma of Acupuncture from PRC in June of 2010. After passing the the provincial registration exams, she moved to Squamish, BC, where She is currently practicing acupuncture at www.squamishmassage.com, developing home-based clientele, and working in downtown Vancouver where she gives both Tui Na and Acupuncture treatments. She is also enjoying teaching yoga, mountain biking and hiking in Squamish.

Book of the Month

The Consultation in Phytotherapy considers the means by which the herbal practitioner can seek to appreciate the patient's predicament. Written for both herbal medicine students and practitioners, the book tales a radical approach, challenging readers to reflect on the nature, scope and methods of the consultation in herbal practice. The author asserts that the effective consultation represents a therapeutic act in and of itself, and proposes strategies for maximizing and realizing this therapeutic potential. The book provides both a complement to, and a critique of, mainstream texts on clinical diagnosis and case management. It contrasts the herbal consultation with that occurring in conventional medicine and offers rationales, arguments and tools aimed at developing an enhanced capacity to achieve profound results in the herbal clinical encounter(description from book cover). This books is available for $67.50. more>>

Workshops and Events

2012 Japanese Acupuncture Certificate Program. more>>

Classical Five Element workshop. more>>

Leading TCM Vet to present workshop. more>>

Chinese Pulse Diagnosis with Brandt Stickley . more>>

Peter Conway returns in 2012. more>>

Acupuncture Sports Therapeutics workshop. more>>

Continuing Education in natural medicines. more>>

New and Noteworthy

January 2012 - PRC launches the School of Holistic Nutrition! more>>

November 2011 - Community Herbalist Program now includes Backyard Gardening! more>>

November 2011 - PRC releases Winter 2012 Schedule of Courses! more>>

October 2011 - Diploma of Phytotherapy now recognized by The College of Practitioners of Phytotherapy! more>>

October 2011 - PRC seeking new faculty members! more>>

August 11 - PRC launches North America's first Diploma of Yogatherapy! more>>

April 11 - PRC's president named Victoria's Young Entrepreneur of the Year. more>>

March 10 - Receive unlimited Acupuncture and Herbal treatments for $1.30/day. more>>

March 09 - Douglas Magazine names PRC one of "10 to Watch" amongst Victoria's businesses.

Employment Opportunities

Faculty positions at PRC:
- Holistic Nutrition
- Yogatherapy
- Western Herbal Medicine
- Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine
more>>

Various jobs and clinic space... more>>

Click here to post your health-related vacancies.