“Each of us is a distillation vessel, love is the fire in which we burn, our prayers are the steam that rises, and the fragrance released is the essential oil of our soul”
ABOUT DR. RAMY SALEH, MTCM, L.Ac., CFMP, DAc
As a Visalia native, I spent the better part of my youth living in this charming town. I consider myself to be a curious and adventurous individual interested in the pursuit of knowledge, so after high school, I said farewell for a time and left in search of secondary education and greater life experience. After high school, I attended the University of California Irvine (UCI) where I studied many subjects with a focus on science, psychology, and anthropology. Having graduated, I became increasingly interested in the health sciences, which led me to begin studying naturopathy at Clayton College. It was a great experience to whet my appetite for natural medicine, but after some time, I felt my passion driving me to change course and answer a calling that was drawing me towards the vast body of knowledge that is Oriental Medicine.
“I felt my passion driving me to change course and answer a calling that was driving me towards the vast body of knowledge that is Oriental Medicine.”
I began searching for schools with the best curriculum and eventually decided to attend Emperor’s College of Traditional Oriental Medicine (ECTOM) in Santa Monica, California. It was during my time there that I received my essential training and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Master’s Degree in Oriental Medicine. I had the opportunity to shadow many esteemed practitioners and spent countless hours compounding formulas onsite in the herbal pharmacy, under the supervision of the school founder, Dr. Bang Dal Kim, who struck me as a man possessed of mystique. Whenever we crossed paths on campus he would greet me with a palm to his heart in the customary Buddhist manner, which impressed upon me a sense of kindness and nobility. Upon graduating, I soon realized that the degree I earned was not the end, but only the beginning of my journey into medicine. I again began searching for authentic teachers and mentors who could inspire within me greater levels of understanding and enable me to better serve humanity and actualize my potential.
“I again began searching for authentic teachers and mentors who could inspire within me greater levels of understanding and enable me to better serve humanity and actualize my potential.”
This catapulted me to begin treating patients in a variety of clinical settings, from workers’ compensation to upscale integrative functional medicine clinics, located in the heart of Los Angeles. I began learning the ropes of the integrative approach, bridging the perceived gap between eastern and western modalities, and working closely with one of the world’s leading functional medicine practitioners, Dr. Drew Francis. Enlightened by this rare opportunity, I was inspired to further my learning and eventually became a certified practitioner of Functional Medicine (CFMP). I am confident that the mingling of these two disciplines, although highly capable in their own right, can together transform the landscape of medicine in the current era.
“I was inspired to further my learning and eventually became a certified practitioner of Functional Medicine (CFMP). I am confident that the mingling of these two disciplines, although they are most capable in their own right, together can and will transform the landscape of medicine in the current era.”
Since I have long been fascinated with the study of herbs and their medical properties and application, I later joined the team of a legendary tonic herb company where I served as a senior herbalist. I had the good fortune of being surrounded by brilliant minds and adept herbalists, as well as having received one-on-one training with master herbalist Ron Teeguarden. After having spent time becoming more proficient in herbalism, I returned to my study of acupuncture and began working with Zen Tuan, a remarkable practitioner in Pasadena Ca, who introduced me to a system of acupuncture called the Balance Method. This opened my eyes to an understanding of acupuncture that connected the dots and enabled me to crystalize my understanding of channel theory in a way that yielded fast and lasting results.
“This opened my eyes to an understanding of acupuncture that connected the dots and enabled me to crystalize my understanding of channel theory in a way that yielded fast and lasting results. ”
Suddenly, many loose ends were tied and a great deal of light was shed on the mysteries of acupuncture, granting me fresh insight into the fundamental principles of this medicine. This allowed me to address health issues located anywhere in the body using distal points, meaning points that are distant to an affected area. The therapeutic value of this methodology was simply incredible as I routinely witnessed pain symptoms resolve before my eyes. Using this knowledge, I began working at several inter-disciplinary clinics concurrently and treating a large volume of patients with high success rates. Having gained experience and confidence in the field, I am coming full circle and have returned to my hometown of Visalia with the determination to establish and operate the Golden Essence Wellness center (GEW). Along with my lovely wife Elizden, we are eager and excited to share all that we have learned on our sojourn. Our mission is to serve the people of our local community and spark a revolution in the system of health care.