Robert Gastón, OMD
Dr. Gastón is an MIT graduate and a board-certified Acupuncture Physician with extensive hospital clinical experience in acupuncture and herbology. He trained in the U.S. and China and he practices medicine as a Kagyu monastic.
Dr. Gastón completed his clinical training at South Shore Hospital in Miami Beach treating AIDS patients in the Ryan White Program and for two years helped teach students at the UM Medical School Acupuncture Post-Doctoral Courses. He also worked at Boston’s Children’s Hospital’s ER, and at Massachusetts General Hospital’s OR.
Dr. Gastón has been a student of Tibetan Kagyu Lamas for decades. He often guides his patients and students in meditation techniques to eliminate stress. He has been in family practice since 1998 and conducts free lectures all over South Florida and at the Miami Shores’ Brockway Library to educate the community on the extraordinary nature of Oriental medicine. He is an ordained Buddhist monk and teaches meditation and basic buddhism at the Open Awareness Buddhist Center in Miami.
Professional Degrees/Licenses/Associations
Bachelor of Science in Earth and Planetary Sciences (MIT ’71)
Doctor of Oriental Medicine – Acupuncture Diploma (CSTCH ’98)
Florida Acupuncture Physician (AP-1020)
Diplomate in TCM (Heilongjiang University ’97)
National Commission for the Certification of Acupuncturists (NCCAOM ‘98).
Member AAOM, FSOMA
Education
Community School of Traditional Chinese Healthcare, Miami, Florida, USA. Physician of Traditional Chinese Medicine Diploma (1998) – 1200 hours of supervised clinic at South Shore Hospital, 3 years of Herbology w/ Clinical Training. Specialized in the supportive treatment of HIV patients using acupuncture and herbs.
Heilongjiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Harbin, People’s Republic of China. Training in Internal Medicine, Dermatology, Pediatrics, Spinal Trauma, Stroke Recovery, Cardiology. Acupuncture Certificate 1997.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge Mass., USA. Bachelor of Science in Earth and Planetary Sciences (1971). Minor: Pre-med.
Kagyu Thubten Chöling. Dharma Path Program. 1998-present. Studied with Lama Norlha Rinpoche, Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche, Tai Situ Rinpoche, Phakyab Rinpoche, and Lama Karma Chötso. Took Getsul (novice monks’ vows) with HH Tai Situ Rinpoche.
New England Conservatory of Music. Voice Major. Opera/Musicals with the Boston Opera, Miami Opera, and the Shakespeare Festival Company. 1975-1986.
University of Miami. Music Department. Drama and Voice studies. Ring Theater Productions. 1983-85: King Arthur in Camelot. Matt in The Fantasticks.
Recent Seminars
Scalp Acupuncture Seminar, NADA Addiction Treatment Detox Seminar, Nutrition Seminars, Infectious Disease Seminar, Tai-Qi Chuan Long Form, Medical Qi-Gong Studies, Reiki I-III Seminars, Tibetan Buddhist Meditation, Three-Needle Technique Seminar, Laboratory Values Seminar, HIV, Infectious Disease Seminar, Korean Hand Therapy Seminar.
Work Experience
Private Family Practice in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Quan Yin Medical Center, Miami Shores, 1998 – present. NADA Protocol with Janet Konefal, PhD 1998
Faculty at the Acupuncture and Massage College, Miami. 2017-2018.
University of Miami Medical School Acupuncture Post-Graduate Program Teaching Assistant 1997-1998
South Shore Hospital. Acupuncture Physician Clinical Training 1995-1998
Massachusetts General Hospital Operating Room Circulating Nurse 1971-1973
Boston Children’s Hospital Emergency Room Assistant Volunteer 1969-1971
Books and Publications
Main Channel and Extraordinary Points. CD-ROM Windows App. Quan Yin Medical Center Press. 1999.
Oriental Herbology Clinical Notes: The Live Herbs. Quan Yin Medical Center Press. 2015.
Oriental Herbology Clinical Notes: The Formulae. Quan Yin Medical Center Press. 2017.
Oriental Medicine Clinical Notes: Syndrome Differentiation. Quan Yin Medical Center Press. 2018.
Oriental Medicine Clinical Notes: Theory. Quan Yin Medical Center Press. 2018.
Recent Free Lectures for the Community
Scoliosis Foundation – St. Mary’s Hospital
Florida International University Nursing Department.
Health Expo Ft. Lauderdale
Rotary Club (Miami Shores, Dadeland and South Miami)
Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale
Miami Shores Library
Barry University
St. Thomas University
Kiwanis Club (Miami Shores)
Brockway Library (Miami Shores)
Languages
English, Spanish, French, Italian.
Other
Teaching assistant at Open Awareness – the official Kagyu Buddhist Center in Miami, tenor, ex-professor of advanced Acupuncture and Herbology , long-distance swimmer, carpenter, Reiki master.
Felipe Toro, AP, DOM
Felipe has a Master’s in Oriental Medicine and was valedictorian of his graduating class. He is a practicing acupuncturist in his native Chile and is also a Reiki Master. He works with Shelly on Mondays during our Community Reiki clinic.
Shelly Wright, MA, Reiki II
Shelly has a Master’s Degree in Social Work and is a certified Reiki Level II practitioner. She runs a free Reiki Clinic for the community here at the Center every Monday afternoon 12 to 2PM. Please come experience an extraordinary session and support her with donations.
Diego Aguirre, Office Manager
Diego has worked diligently at the Center since 2005. He is family.
