The skills that can be imitated and can not 

 

Two kind of skills

When thinking about the value of skill, I think there are two perspectives.

1. Skill that can be imitated
2. Skill that cannot be imitated

Even in acupuncture and moxibustion, there are (1) and (2).

I think that the value of each is different.

If there is only (1), every acupuncturist do the same treatment.

If there is only (2), every acupuncturist do the different treatment.

What is important in school education is (1). Education system don’t make sense unless schools teach like (1). If we don’t premise that “everyone can do”, education won’t make sense. However, when we go to a clinical site, we notice that we can not do anything within the range of school education.

We can’t get confidence unless we make outcome.

As I wrote in the last article, acupuncturist skills are not flat. I strongly feel importance of skill that cannot be imitated by any other person. However, I feel doubt that chasing only type (2), because it completely rely on one’s talent.

Let’s see these models below.

A and B are showing acupuncturist’s ability. Let me suppose that level of A is as same as level of B. Both have enough ability to satisfy patients. Difference between them is percentage of imitation.

A is mainly skill which cannot be imitated.

B is mainly skill which can be imitated.

The more type A increase, the more acupuncturists display their originality.

The more type B increase, the less acupuncturists display their originality.

I don’t have authority to decide which is better.

However, I can say…

“A is personal value, B is social value.”

A is worthwhile when it comes to competing for artistic value.

B is worthwhile when it comes to pursue universality.

I’ve always think something since I became an acupuncturist.

That is serious shortage of people who support B.

Although feeling is important, acupuncturists are too dependent on sensitivity.

If you are too biased toward A, you will divide it as “They who can do, can do. They who cannot do, can never do.” If a person aiming for acupuncturist is divisible, there is no problem, but in reality, after becoming an acupuncturist, I am confronted with the reality that “They who can do, can do. They who cannot do, can never do.”.

In school education, opportunities to contact real patients are rare, and students can not judge “possible” or “impossible”. What you can understand is “Whether I remember, or not” and “skillful or not”.

There are two types of what we can imitate.

1. Able to imitate promptly
2. Need practice repeatedly

These days, there are many know-how materials, especially in manipulative treatment.

We have only to pay for it to know treatment method.

1. is important when it comes to know-how study material.

However, I doubt that we can imitate know-how by material like DVD.

What’s more, even if we could imitate, we would have plenty of competition.

We need time to acquire (2). Some skills are a few hours, some skills are several years.

Unlike know-how method, we cannot do them immediately, but others also cannot do immediately.

Watching sports and being impressed is because there is performance that can not be reached without repetitive practice.

Treatment is similar.

The more we prepare, the more we are likely to make good result.

I will add school education to the first figure.

It looks like this to me.

The passing line of the field and that of the national examination are much different.  Isn’t it faster to expand “the world that can be managed” in order for a licensed acupuncturist to be active in a stable manner? Risk is too high for all acupuncturists to compete with individuality and humanity.

My concern is acupuncture that everyone can make certain effects and expanding the world that can be imitated. To do that, I have to keep staying on the practical site more. I will probably continue to stay there for the next 10 years. While doing so, I will consider the ways to support subordinates.

At the end, I think that creativity is important.

The ideal acupuncture is made by the individual acupuncturists.

I’m now surrounded by wonderful mates beyond the workplace. I want to make efforts to increase the number of wonderful mates. I want to try what WE can do. In the position of an acupuncturist, I will make the idea beyond the frame of an acupuncturist.