Celebrating 25 years of education, innovation, and the advancement of East Asian medicine
In the fall of 2026, Dragon Rises College of Oriental Medicine celebrates an extraordinary milestone: 25 years of educating practitioners and advancing the practice of East Asian medicine.
What began in 2001 with a vision shared by Dr. Leon Hammer and his colleagues has grown into a college dedicated to preparing the next generation of practitioners while helping create meaningful connections between East Asian and Western medicine.
For a quarter of a century, Dragon Rises has remained committed to a simple but powerful idea: better healthcare begins with better understanding of the whole person.
A Vision for a Different Kind of Medicine
When Dragon Rises College was founded, its approach was distinctive. The college sought to preserve the depth and diagnostic traditions of East Asian medicine while encouraging thoughtful integration with contemporary healthcare.
A central part of that vision has been Contemporary Oriental Medicine® and the work surrounding Contemporary Chinese Pulse Diagnosis®, developed from the teachings of Dr. John H. F. Shen and further advanced through the work of Dr. Leon Hammer.
These traditions remain an important part of the education students receive at Dragon Rises College today.
Rather than viewing East Asian medicine and Western medicine as competing systems, Dragon Rises College has continued to explore how the strengths of both can contribute to more comprehensive patient care.
Educating the Next Generation
Over the past 25 years, countless students have walked through Dragon Rises’ doors with the goal of becoming healthcare practitioners.
Today, the college offers an ACAHM-accredited Master’s Degree in Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine, combining rigorous academic study with extensive clinical education.
Students study acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, Oriental diagnosis, meridian theory, nutrition, pharmacology, bodywork, practice management, and other subjects designed to prepare them for professional practice.
But education at Dragon Rises goes beyond textbooks and classrooms.
Through clinical training, students have the opportunity to work with real patients under professional supervision—developing not only clinical skills, but also the communication, compassion, and critical thinking required of a healthcare practitioner.
Continuing to Evolve
While our roots reach back 25 years, Dragon Rises College is not standing still.
Healthcare continues to evolve, and so does our approach to education.
The college has expanded opportunities for students, developed new clinical specialties, and continued exploring ways to make East Asian medicine more accessible to the communities we serve.
Our acupuncture clinic provides an important connection between the college and the community, allowing patients to experience care while giving students valuable clinical learning opportunities.
Specialty clinics—including neurology, orthopedics, and cosmetic acupuncture—reflect our ongoing commitment to developing focused areas of clinical education and patient care.
Looking Toward the Next 25 Years
A 25th anniversary is an opportunity to look back—but it is also an opportunity to look forward.
The future of healthcare will require practitioners who can think broadly, collaborate across disciplines, and understand that effective healthcare is about more than treating a diagnosis.
Dragon Rises College remains committed to setting the standards of East Asian medicine through educating and inspiring the next generation of practitioners and leaders in their field, while creating pathways for integration into Western medicine to transform modern healthcare.
That mission is as relevant today as it was when the college began.
25 Years—and Counting
To our alumni, students, faculty, staff, clinical partners, patients, supporters, and friends: thank you.
You are part of the Dragon Rises story.
For 25 years, we have been learning, teaching, treating, questioning, innovating, and growing together.
As we celebrate this milestone, we honor the people and ideas that brought Dragon Rises College here—and look forward with excitement to the next chapter.
25 years of Dragon Rises College.
25 years of education.
25 years of service.
25 years of advancing East Asian medicine.
The journey continues.
Interested in becoming part of our next chapter? Reach out to our Admissions team to learn more: Inquiring Students
