Established in 1982, the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM) is recognized by the US Department of Education and continues to independently evaluate the education for licensed Oriental Medicine practitioners.
Translation: Unfortunately, there are a lot of fake-ass schools out there. In order to differentiate from the University of Phoenix from the John Hopkins Medical School of TCM -- the ACAOM lists accredited real schools which offer the proper education/training.
Surprise Factors of Oriental Med School:- Graduate Master's program
- Bachelor - Minimum 3.0 GPA
- Pre-requisite of Western sciences
- Required to pass national AND state exams
Similar to other schools, each TCM school is known for its specialty whether it is sports medicine or research studies. The main difference between East vs. West Coast schools largely depends on the unique California licensing laws and herb studies. In the state of California, acupuncturists are considered general practitioners which allows them to order blood tests, X-rays and accept health insurance. Most West Coast schools outside of CA, like Oregon, prep their students for the CA exam.
Pre-requisites:
- Biology
- Chemistry (Lecture & Lab)
- Psychology
- Physics
- Anatomy (I & II)
- Physiology (I & II)
- CPR certified
Master's Program
- 3 to 4 years
- Clinical internship and externship
- 1 to 4 years of Qi Gong
- 2 years of body work
- Western pharmacology
- 3 to 4 years of Herb studies
Doctorate Program
- 2 years
- Research studies
- Clinical internships and externships
