Choosing an acupuncturist can be confusing. If you do not have referrals to one from a friend or family member who was to one, you are stuck on the Internet, or if you do not use the Internet, use the yellow pages. We hope this article helps you find out what to look for and what questions you can ask at the beginning of the search.
Personally, I do acupuncture in California, and all practitioners here have to go through state boards from the California Acupuncture Council. When passing through the practitioner, the title “Licensed acupuncture”, abbreviated L.Ac. We use this title after our name, as in John Smith, L.Ac. To pass the exam, the practitioner must graduate from an accredited acupuncture school. This is currently a master's program (the longest master program in the country), but many schools are applying to doctoral programs. A master's degree may vary in name from school to school. Degrees can be a Master of Science in Acupuncture, a Master of Science in Traditional Oriental Medicine, a Master of Science in Chinese Medicine, and others. Although the title of master is not important, it is important that the practitioner be licensed in the state. Therefore, when searching, you should look for the L.Ac. heading.
As I already mentioned, many schools are applying to the doctoral program. Since this will soon become the only option, for example, chiropractors and pharmacists, schools offer additional doctoral programs for practitioners who already practice with a master's degree. And again these names differ from school to school. Options - Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine (DACM), Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (DAOM), Doctor of Oriental Medicine (DOM) or Doctor of Acupuncture (DAc).
I would like to mention that in 1980, some schools were known to give a diploma with the title “Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine” (DAOM) to graduates with approximately 1,200 hours of study and without a bachelor’s degree. prerequisites for students are required. Knowing this, do not be afraid to ask a practitioner how many hours they had been at school.
Acupuncture education is very comprehensive and offers much more than just Chinese medicine. Today's graduates receive a Master of Science degree. Each student spends a full year of anatomy classes. Students also conduct classes in physiology, chemistry, physics, biology, 2 classes of pathology, 2 classes of clinical differentiation and diagnosis. While studying, students take classes in each semester in the theory of Chinese medicine, single herbal, herbal formulas, acupuncture points and acupuncture techniques. Students also spend time in the clinic every semester, working with patients. The first few semester overlaps are observed, the next several in helping, and finally the student works as an intern. All this is done under the direct control of a licensed acupuncturist.
I hope this helps you a little in setting practitioners credentials and finding a practitioner for you.
