Ed Petition: Stop teaching acupuncture & chiropractics at RMIT

[Orphia Nay]

RMIT University: Stop teaching acupuncture and chiropractics as evidence based medicine

http://www.change.org/petitions/rmi...-and-chiropractics-as-evidence-based-medicine

In 2011, for its chiropractic course, RMIT University [the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology] was awarded the Bent Spoon [by the Australian Skeptics] which "is presented annually to the perpetrator of the most preposterous piece of paranormal or pseudo-scientific piffle." This is rightly harmful to the reputation of RMIT and harmful to the reputation of science degrees that RMIT offers.

It is important that universities teach and promote science and educate against ignorance or misinformation. Both chiropractics and acupuncture are based on out-dated models and still lack enough strong evidence that demonstrate their effectiveness as treatments.

The scientific method works and for this simple reason, its name is often hijacked in the support of unscientific medicine that can cause harm and prevent or delay patients from seeking proper medical care. If we want to ensure the public makes informed decisions with health care and if we want to keep the trust of the community in science and in our tertiary institutions, then we must criticise pseudo-science and we urge RMIT University to support evidence based medicine.

http://www.skeptics.com.au/latest/a...nt/bent-spoon-to-rmit-soty-to-loretta-marron/

http://summaries.cochrane.org/CD005319/acupuncture-for-shoulder-pain

http://summaries.cochrane.org/CD005427/combined-chiropractic-interventions-for-low-back-pain

http://summaries.cochrane.org/CD001002/manual-therapy-for-asthma

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/ 21923248

Sign, please! RMIT is a fine institution on the whole. It needs a prod to pull up its socks.

Likewise, I shall prod you if you don't sign.

 

[Foolmewunz]

Well, since you asked so nicely. (And they say there are no genteel women left in the Antipodes... )

 

[Akhenaten]

I've signed, but can I still have the prodding?

 

[Orphia Nay]

Thanks, guys.

Erm, OK, Foolmewunz gets to do the prodding since he was first to sign.

 

[lionking]

Signed a week ago.

 

[slingblade]

Done.


...will you prod me anyway? I'm kinda lonely...

 

[Wudang]

You should post in Science & Medicine. A number of posters have a lot of ammo and experience.

 

[Joey McGee]

31 Views and the petition has risen about a dozen or so? Shame!

 

[Orphia Nay]

Right, you're all getting a good prodding!

You should post in Science & Medicine. A number of posters have a lot of ammo and experience.

I was wavering between Community and Sci/Med, but Community gets more traffic (according to the post counts on the Forum Index).

 

[Carnivore]

Signed. Prodded separately.

 

[Legend]

Doneded.

 

[Malfie Henpox]

I signed and I suck.

 

[slingblade]

I put a link to the petition on my FB as well.

 

[wollery]

Signed

 

[GlennB]

It kept freaking out and refreshing when I clicked "Outside US". When I pretended to live in Delaware it spat at me and hurled verbal abuse. So I prodded the screen. Well, actually, in the spirit of homeopathy I just thought about prodding it.

 

[jhunter1163]

OK, I signed. Now where's my prodding?

Oh... if I don't sign... gotta read these things more carefully.

 

[Foolmewunz]

Right, you're all getting a good prodding!



I was wavering between Community and Sci/Med, but Community gets more traffic (according to the post counts on the Forum Index).

That's a serious misconception. Visitors can't see Community and we have a ratio of about 3:5 members to visitors. Also, look at the Forum Main Page (click the JREF Forum tag at the top of this page) and you can see number of people attending at any one time. Right this very minute that I'm typing there are 54 people viewing Sci/Math and 10 viewing Community. I'm not sure why the Index would show higher post counts. Maybe because Community has been around for a number of years more? I'm not sure.

 

[Sideroxylon]

Done. Seriously? RMIT are "teaching acupuncture and chiropractics as evidence based medicine"? That's telling porkies.

 

[Orphia Nay]

I put a link to the petition on my FB as well.

Thank you! That's the idea, people!

Thanks to all who have signed so far.

That's a serious misconception. Visitors can't see Community and we have a ratio of about 3:5 members to visitors. Also, look at the Forum Main Page (click the JREF Forum tag at the top of this page) and you can see number of people attending at any one time. Right this very minute that I'm typing there are 54 people viewing Sci/Math and 10 viewing Community. I'm not sure why the Index would show higher post counts. Maybe because Community has been around for a number of years more? I'm not sure.

Well, darn. I shall see if I can get it moved. Thanks, FMW.

 

[BravesFan]

I am going to sign, but does Australia recognize signatures from non citizens?


This will not preclude me from signing btw, just wondering.