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 Melissa Smith is a nationally
board certified physician in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.
She is a Diplomate with the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture
and Oriental Medicine, and is licensed through the Florida Board of Health.
Melissa graduated from the Seattle Institute of Oriental Medicine, the top
school in the country, renowned for its apprentice style and clinical
training for Acupuncturists and Chinese Herbalists.
Being
a healer has been a lifelong calling for Melissa. As a child, Melissa set
her intention to be a doctor, and did everything she could in each phase of
her life to have the experiences and education to make that dream a reality.
She volunteered at local hospitals and rehabilitation facilities, shadowed
physicians and participated actively in medical explorers. In her
undergraduate education, she majored in biology pre-medicine and continued
her volunteer work and assisted doing research with a clinical psychologist
at Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital.
Melissa graduated cum laude with a Bachelors of Science in Biology from Cedar Crest College, a four year liberal arts college founded in 1867. After which time, Melissa studied for three years at Bastyr University, a Naturopathic Medical school in Seattle Washington, where she focused on whole foods cooking and nutrition, diet therapy, acupuncture and massage. Two of those three years were spent studying western sciences on a doctorate level. Melissa graduated from the Seattle Institute of Oriental Medicine (SIOM) in 2004, the top school in the country, renowned for its apprentice style and clinical training for Acupuncturists and Chinese Herbalists. Her focus at SIOM was herbal medicine and acupuncture in the treatment of gynecological disorders, specifically the treatment of infertility and endometriosis, skin conditions and fibromyalgia. Melissa also spent five years translating Medical Chinese. Melissa is certified with the National Commission of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine as a Diplomate in Oriental Medicine. She is also certified as an Acupuncture Detoxification Specialist by the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association and treated patients at Evergreen Methadone Clinic in Seattle, WA. Melissa loves working with patients with recipes and diet therapy and plans to publish a Diet Therapy Guide and Cookbook. Melissa joined the Jacksonville community in 2004 moving from Seattle, Washington. She has been practicing Chinese Medicine in Jacksonville since the fall of 2004. |
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With the intention of gaining
more experience and exposure to medicine, Melissa completed a summer
intensive training and worked at Sacred Heart Hospital as a nursing
assistant and EKG technician. After working full time in a very busy and
stressful medical setting, Melissa realized in her heart, she wanted to be
able to spend more time with the patients, than was possible in the current
medical model. “Maintaining my heart in medicine was very important to me,”
says Melissa. She came to realize the importance of taking the time to
really sit, listen and care for each patient as being essential in their
healing process. She feels passionately about being able to take the time to
truly care for those individuals who come to her for healing.