Midwest College of Oriental Medicine - Racine

I am so happy I restarted acupuncture. This school is awesome $25 a visit after the initial. You have students with the oversight of a supervisor working on you and a Doctor that overviews everything. Which means you have the most updated procedures and treatments. I have not felt this good in the morning in a long time.

I strongly suggest you record any and all conversations you have with them so you can hold them accountable later on when their story changes.

The clinicians in training are attentive & thorough in their treatment of the whole person! It is refreshing that all aspects of your life are considered in their diagnostic approach! I am so very thankful that they share their skills with our community!

I attended Midwest College (Racine/Skokie campuses) thinking I was investing in a legitimate acupuncture and herbal medicine education. What I got instead was a front for a predatory for-profit operation run by the Dunbar family and enforced by Kris LaPoint—a toxic trio that treats students like ATMs.
The Ponzi-like financial model is blatant:
• Tuition skyrockets mid-program with no justification.
• Clinic shortfalls? They bill students for “lack of patients.”
• Hidden fees appear out of nowhere—$500 for “clinic supplies” that are just dusty needles.
• Graduates are saddled with $150K+ debt for a degree that barely prepares you for NCCAOM boards.
But the real scam is the review manipulation.
The Dunbars pay third-party services to scrub Google, Niche, and RateMyProfessors of negative reviews. I posted a detailed 1-star review with screenshots of billing fraud—gone within 48 hours. Multiple alumni confirmed the same: truthful complaints vanish, replaced by generic 5-star posts from “verified students” with zero history. It’s not organic—it’s paid suppression.
And then there’s Daryl, Kris LaPoint’s personal intimidation enforcer.
• He looms in clinic meetings, staring down anyone who questions fees.
• Students who complain get “private talks” with him—veiled threats about “ruining your future in the field.”
• One classmate was cornered in the parking lot after filing a formal grievance. Coincidence? Hardly.
Kris LaPoint isn’t an administrator; she’s the Dunbars’ door mat while Daryl is the pet dog. She laughs off abuse allegations, mocks crying students in staff meetings, and brags about “handling” whistleblowers. The culture is cult-like: dissent = expulsion or financial ruin.
ACAHM accreditation? A rubber stamp. They ignore the dozens of formal complaints because the Dunbars wine-and-dine the reviewers.

The school only wants money. You don’t learn anything at the school and the grades don’t come out 7 weeks after the quarter is over. You leave unprepared for the board exams. They teachers either tell you to go find your answers to questions or just answer what they want and never give you a clear answer. The school pushes people through the quarters just to get their money for the next quarter whether you know the material. Online tests are all open book which doesn’t prepare you for the board exams. They tell you at the beginning that the school doesn’t give you enough information to take the boards but you have to do extensive research outside of class to get the information you need to be prepared. The only thing they HAD going for them was scheduling which isn’t even helping them anymore because there are better schools with flexible schedules now. And the dean will tell you whatever he wants just to keep you there and lie or do things that are illegal or unethical.

I strongly discourage anyone from enrolling at Midwest College of Acupuncture. The school lacks proper staffing, and faculty often seem annoyed any time a student asks a question. They do not properly track clinic hours, which forces students to work additional hours for free. The classes are poorly run — in one course, I honestly doubted the teacher (Les) would even make it through the semester because he was so weak and ill. The administration is essentially a family operation, and because of that, staff are allowed to treat students with extremely blatant disrespect without consequence. I was personally hung up on twice while discussing my education. While a student at midwest I have been hung up on, yelled at and even made to cry. Students are also required to take six herb classes that are a complete waste of time and money grab because we honestly learn nothing. The herb teacher does not have a lesson plan but instead plays youtube videos and tapes from past lectures other teachers gave. The clinic is equally disappointing. There are not enough patients to meet graduation requirements. I need 3 patients a day to graduate on time and had to work s double last week to meet my numbers and this is normal. I speak to Gigi who is in charge of keeping track of patients numbers and she said it was the student's responsibility to provide patients. I live in Chicago how any I going to get people to come to Skokie for student acupuncture? The clinic frequently lack basic supplies such as e-stim machines, cups for cupping, moxa, or even heart monitors. In fact, moxa isn’t allowed in the building at all, which makes no sense for a TCM program. This place operates more like a acupuncture money-making mill than an actual college. They do not care about your education, only about collecting tuition. I regret investing so much money here, because I feel I have nothing to show for it. I really wish I could continue but my self worth will not allow me to dirt by rude administration staff. If the administration was more compassionate and realized we are doing the best we can with what we are given the student experience would be better but the school support system is greatly flawed. And the two girls who work the phone are obviously over there jobs. Save you money and time and invest elsewhere please.

I have been going into the school for treatment since mid 2018. At that time until present I have gone in for weekly visits. Open till four sessions ago my pain level has always been at four then four sessions ago until last week. My pain level was two this morning’s visit. My pain level was one. All these levels have to do with my lower back pain. Every session that I have gone to, and once it has been completed; my pain is at zero and I feel great for six days. I am happy to say that the treatments along with the herbal medicines have been helping me all these years. Also, depending upon the time available, the Specialist have done different combinations of treatments. And these treatments have helped. Such as massage, or cupping, or electoral sensation, or Gosha. I recommend the college of acupuncture and herbal medicine as a healing point.

A total disrespect to education don't go to school here they abused and scammed our family

If it didn't work for me, I would not be going back.

I'm getting top notch acupuncture at affordable prices from knowledgeable, skilled practitioners which is helping me enormously. Convenient location for me with ample free parking and evening hours.