Finding expert speakers in the field of alternative/complementary medicine can be difficult. How do you judge a speaker's credentials?

A New York City-based publication, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) World, has named the winners of its ``Best of the West 2000'' survey of U.S. colleges of Oriental and traditional Chinese Medicine in it current summer edition. CME providers looking for alternative medicine experts might consider the following institutions as places to find them:

OVERALL WINNERS: FACULTY, CURRICULUM, CLINICAL TRAINING
- American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, San Francisco, CA
- Oregon College of Oriental Medicine, Portland, OR
- Texas College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Austin, TX

BEST FACULTY
- American Academy of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, Minneapolis, MN
- International Institute of Chinese Medicine, Santa Fe, NM
- National College of Oriental Medicine, Orlando, FL

BEST CURRICULUM
- Atlantic Institute of Oriental Medicine, Fort Lauderdale, FL
- International Institute of Chinese Medicine, Santa Fe, NM
- Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, San Diego, CA and New York, NY campuses

BEST CLINICAL TRAINING
- Academy of Oriental Medicine, Austin TX
- Atlantic Institute of Oriental Medicine, Fort Lauderdale, FL
- Dallas Institute of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine, Dallas, TX
- Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, San Diego, CA