Kim Silsby first experienced acupuncture and herbal medicine in her early twenties, and she was impressed with the results. Kim knew Chinese medicine was the vocation she would enjoy learning about and practicing throughout her life. Kim completed her Masters of Traditional Chinese Medicine at Five Branches University in Santa Cruz, CA, and soon after became a California licensed acupuncturist and herbalist.

Five Branches was founded in 1984, with the intention to bring the highest-quality, authentic Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) instruction to the Western world. They carefully selected faculty members who were trained in China and invited them to share their knowledge of Chinese medicine with U. S. students. Kim gratefully credits every one of the Five Branches faculty and many additional instructors since then for all that she has learned over the past twenty years.