Kylie Sheard
L.AC., DIPL. AC
Kylie is a Pierre-native with extensive training in Traditional Chinese Medicine from Northwestern Health Sciences University. She is nationally certified to practice acupuncture through National Certification Board for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine (NCBAHM).
My Education and Training
My path to becoming an acupuncturist began at Northwestern Health Sciences University (NWHSU) in Bloomington, Minnesota, where I earned my Master of Oriental Medicine (M.O.M.), with extensive training in both acupuncture and Chinese Medicine.
My graduate education included more than 3,000 hours of classroom, laboratory, and clinical training completed over approximately three years of year-round study. My coursework included Traditional Chinese Medicine theory and diagnosis, acupuncture and point location, Chinese herbal medicine, anatomy and physiology, biomedical sciences, nutrition and Chinese food therapy, and therapies such as fire cupping, gua sha, moxibustion, and Tui Na.
My Clinical Experience
A significant part of my education was hands-on clinical training. I completed supervised internships and clinical rotations in a variety of healthcare settings throughout the Minneapolis–St. Paul area, including:
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• De Rusha Clinic / University Health Services
• NWHSU Bloomington Clinic
• Human Performance Center
• NWHSU Chinese Medicine Herbal Dispensary
• Abbott Northwestern Hospital / Penny George Institute for Health and Healing
• Regions Hospital
• University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital
• Cerenity Senior Care
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These experiences gave me the opportunity to work with and observe a wide variety of patients while learning how acupuncture and Chinese Medicine can be used in private practice, integrative healthcare, hospital, pediatric, rehabilitation, and senior-care settings.
National Board Certification
In addition to my graduate education, I am a Nationally Board Certified Diplomate of Acupuncture through the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM).
Becoming a Diplomate of Acupuncture (NCCAOM)® requires completing an eligible graduate-level acupuncture education, meeting Clean Needle Technique requirements, and successfully passing three national board examinations:
Foundations of Chinese Medicine — Chinese medical theory, diagnosis, pattern differentiation, and treatment principles.
Acupuncture with Point Location — acupuncture point location and functions, needling techniques, clinical application, contraindications, and patient safety.
Biomedicine — anatomy, physiology, pathology, pharmacology, clinical assessment, medical red flags, patient safety, and appropriate medical referral.
Altogether, my training includes a Master's degree, more than 3,000 hours of graduate education and clinical training, supervised internships in hospital and community healthcare settings, international clinical study in China, and national board certification.
This depth of education is an important part of how I practice today. I don't view acupuncture as simply the placement of needles, but as one part of a comprehensive system of medicine that considers the whole person and allows each treatment to be tailored to the individual sitting in front of me.
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Studying Chinese Medicine in China
One of the most memorable parts of my education came in April 2017, when I traveled to Zhengzhou, China, to study through Henan University of Chinese Medicine and its affiliated teaching hospitals.
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While there, I studied and shadowed Traditional Chinese Medicine physicians working within the Chinese hospital system, including specialized clinical experiences in oncology, infertility and reproductive medicine, and cardiovascular care.
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It was an incredible opportunity to see firsthand how acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, and other traditional therapies are practiced within modern hospitals and integrated alongside conventional medicine in the country where this system of medicine originated.