Teaching Through Transformation: Amy Hull’s 30+ Years at NESA

Before discovering acupuncture, Hull worked as an EMT and later in urgent care triage at what is now Harvard Pilgrim. That experience, she said, made her realize that conventional approaches were not always addressing the underlying causes of patients’ chronic issues. Her search for a different kind of healing led her to NESA.

Founded in 1975 by Dr. James Tin Yau So and several of his students, NESA was the first acupuncture school in the country.

“When I graduated, we still needed a doctor’s referral to treat patients,” Hull recalled. “Now, we’re part of the healthcare landscape. Without acupuncture and related fields, there’s no integrative medicine.”

Although Dr. So stopped teaching before Hull enrolled, she said his influence was still deeply felt. “My teachers were his students. He held them to a high standard, and that standard continues today.”

Hull visited Dr. So at his home before he died in 2002. “He was an acupuncture rock star—passionate and demanding in the best way.”

Hull has watched acupuncture grow from what she calls a “fringe” practice to a respected part of healthcare systems nationwide. She said that through research, education, and clinical training opportunities, NESA has helped increase access to care and improve public understanding of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine.

As she looks back, Hull said she sees NESA’s commitment to academic rigor and patient-centered care as central to its enduring legacy. “Dr. So wanted his students to know more than he did,” she said. “And I think we’ve done that. We’ve built on his foundation and expanded the reach of this medicine.”

Still, she says, the work isn’t finished. “We’re just getting started,” she says. “We’ve come a long way, but there’s still much to do to make integrative healthcare more accessible. Acupuncture has proven itself, and now it’s about continuing to build on that foundation and ensuring future generations of students can carry this work forward.”