Michael graduated in 1998, from the Seattle Institute of Oriental Medicine, where he studied acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine and earned a Master’s of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. He holds NCCAOM national certifications in both acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine, and is licensed in the states of Missouri and Washington.

After graduating and practicing in Seattle for a few years, Michael followed his curiosity to Asia to learn Chinese and to further his understanding of Chinese medicine from within the Chinese language and cultural frame.

Michael’s travels of over over five years took him to both Taiwan and Mainland China. He had the good fortune to study medicine at Beijing TCM University and work with doctors in the crowded hospitals of Beijing, where patients seek Chinese medicine treatments for conditions unimaginable in the West.

In addition to studying herbal treatments in the digestive, respiratory and dermatology clinics of Beijing’s Dongzhimen hospital, Michael studied acupuncture with Dr. Wang, a richly experienced scholar/doctor who never stops seeking deeper knowledge. In Taiwan, he regularly studied with Dr. Jiang Tong, a 95 year-old practitioner who comes from a family of doctors, and learned his unique way of using granulated herbs.

After returning from Asia he spent three years running Yong Kang Chinese medicine clinic in downtown Seattle. During that period he continued to travel regularly to Asia, both to study and occasionally lecture. Additionally, he translated a book on the use of classical herbal formulas from Han dynasty, which was published in July of 2009.

Michael has recently returned from another extended stay in China, and now devotes his time to running the Yong Kang Chinese Medicine in Saint Louis, Missouri.

When not treating patients, he can be found working on translating some of the great wealth of Chinese medical texts into English.