Why I Created iDissect.ca — And Why Acupuncturists Need to Be Anatomists

July 18, 2025Dissection

For as long as I’ve been practicing acupuncture — and it’s been over 30 years now — I’ve always had one foot in tradition and one foot in anatomy. I love the beauty of East Asian medicine, the elegance of its diagnostic systems, and the power of its channel theory. But I also believe that if I’m putting a needle into someone’s body, I need to know exactly what lies beneath the surface.

That’s why I created iDissect.ca.

This summer, I’m hosting a 10-day cadaver dissection course at the University of Toronto. We’ll be using soft-embalmed cadavers, which preserve the natural texture, color, and pliability of human tissue — unlike the rigid, dry specimens we all remember from school. This allows for a truer, more tactile exploration of the human body — one that speaks directly to how we palpate and needle in the clinic.

This course was something I always wanted when I was coming up. I didn’t just want to memorize anatomical charts or rely on digital apps. I wanted to trace a nerve from origin to termination, to see the relationship between acupuncture points and muscle planes, to understand fascial continuity in a way that would actually inform my hands and improve my treatments.

Now, I’m offering that experience to others — acupuncturists, RMTs, osteopathic manual practitioners, and anyone who works with the body and wants a deeper level of anatomical literacy.

What to Expect from the 10-Day Experience

Each morning will be led by Dr. Poney Chiang, whose work in neuro-meridian acupuncture is internationally respected. His morning sessions (10am–12pm) will explore the nervous system, point anatomy, and neurovascular structures relevant to acupuncture.

In the afternoons (1pm–3pm), I’ll guide participants through fascial planes, muscular relationships, and palpation-informed dissection. My focus is on making anatomy functional and relevant — not just to sharpen your clinical skills, but to give you the kind of confidence that only comes from truly knowing what’s under your hands.

You’ll learn how to locate or palpate every major peripheral nerve in the:

Scalp
Face
Upper and lower limbs
Trunk and torso

You’ll see for yourself how channel theory overlaps with real anatomy, and how fascial planes and muscular layers create the internal pathways we work with as East Asian medicine practitioners.

The Big Why

iDissect.ca exists because we deserve better anatomy education as acupuncturists.

I want us to stop guessing.
I want us to stop memorizing surface maps without depth.
I want us to feel confident treating next to arteries, near the pleura, or over the foramen magnum — because we’ve seen it, felt it, and dissected it.

This course isn’t just for anatomy nerds (though we welcome you with open arms). It’s for clinicians who want to bridge the gap between the energetic and the physical — to better understand the body we work with every day, and to treat with clarity, precision, and safety.

Course Info

📍 Location: University of Toronto – Medical Sciences Building
🗓️ Dates: July 21–25 and July 28–August 1
🕙 Morning sessions (10 AM – 12 PM): Dr. Poney Chiang
🕐 Afternoon sessions (1 PM – 3 PM): Samuel Lo (me)
💵 $150 + HST per session (join a few or do the full 10 days)

🔗 Register or learn more at www.idissect.ca

If you’re ready to connect your hands with your head — and with the body in front of you — I hope you’ll join us this summer.

Let’s bring anatomy to life.