Acupuncture is a type of medical treatment that involves inserting needles into the skin at specific points. The needles are said to help the body’s qi, or life energy, to rebalance. This practice originated in China and is still regarded as a form of medical care comparable to modern western treatments many in the Far East. Acupuncture began to gain popularity in the second half of the twentieth century.
In Western countries, it is still only used to supplement traditional medical care for the majority of people.
Acupuncture education can be found at any college or university in China, alongside other medical training programs. In the East, acupuncturists must meet the same educational and professional requirements as any other type of doctor. However, the quality and availability of acupuncture education and certification varies greatly throughout the rest of the world. Acupuncturists are not required to be licensed in most countries, including the United Kingdom, though some may offer voluntary certification programs. A few provinces in both Canada and Australia require formal acupuncture education and licensing, but the practice is unregulated in the rest of the country.
Outside of China, the United States has some of the strictest formal requirements for acupuncture education. Despite the fact that individual states set their own standards, nearly every state has adopted the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine’s requirements (NCCAOM). This organization requires applicants to complete a two- or four-year undergraduate degree followed a three- to four-year acupuncture graduate program. Acupuncture, Oriental medicine, biomedicine, and Chinese herbs are among the subjects that students must study for over 3,500 hours. In addition, the student must complete 660 hours of clinical practice under the supervision of a trained professional.
All acupuncture education must be completed at a school accredited the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, according to NCCAOM standards (ACAOM). The student will sit for the NCCAOM exams once all educational requirements have been met. The student will be given the title of Licensed Acupuncturist, or Doctor of Oriental Medicine, if they pass these exams. Students in California must take an additional state exam before receiving state licensing, but once licensed, the applicant can practice acupuncture freely in the rest of the United States.
The ACAOM has accredited over 60 acupuncture schools in the United States as of 2009. The US Department of Education has designated the ACAOM as the only organization authorized to accredit acupuncture schools in the United States. Acupuncture students who attend one of these accredited schools are eligible for the same federal financial aid programs as traditional college and university students.