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Are Medical Acupuncture Schools Accredited?
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Where does one go to medical acupuncture school versus where does one go to traditional acupuncture school? Why are there different acupuncture schools? Shouldn’t there be one kind of acupuncture school for all those interested in studying it?There are two types of acupuncture schools that are currently educating those to perform acupuncture on you. It is important, for your health and safety, to know which school your acupuncturist went to. One is accredited and the other is not.
A properly trained acupuncturist would have gone to an acupuncture school that is accredited by the national accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. That agency is the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM). They have a list of all the acupuncture schools in the USA that are accredited and it is crucial to make sure your acupuncturist had gone to one of those schools listed.
When you call to make an appointment with an acupuncturist, ask what school the acupuncturist/doctor went to. Here is the list of accredited acupuncture schools that you can check to see if your acupuncturist is real or not.
Most of the acupuncturists that you will make your appointment with that have the initials L.Ac. after their name will have gone to one of those accredited acupuncture schools.
But often, when your acupuncturist is another health care practitioner such as a medical doctor, or a chiropractor, and sometimes even a naturopath, osteopath, podiatrist, or physical therapist, they have gone to an acupuncture school that is not on that list. Why? No accredited acupuncture school will give them a few home study weekend courses in place of 4 years intense acupuncture study, so they seek out non-accredited places. Wearing a white lab coat does not make it real so be careful. Ask them what acupuncture school they went to.
· It is not rude to question the qualification of the person who intends to treat you for a physical ailment, especially if they offer to perform a treatment secondary to their advertised expertise.
There are some medical doctors and chiropractors that have gone to one of those accredited acupuncture schools and are very good acupuncturists, but more often than not, they have not gone to an accredited acupuncture school. Be prudent and ask!
You should know and be aware of the acupuncture schools that are not accredited and are giving out quick acupuncture certifications to doctors.
The Helms Medical Institute / The American Academy of Medical Acupuncture are the main two you should be aware of. They are NOT accredited by the ACAOM and provide a very non-comprehensive, abbreviated, “CliffsNotes” version of acupuncture while dispensing out acupuncture certificates.
For the better quality care of you and your family, and more importantly your safety, make sure your acupuncturist had gone to an accredited school by the ACAOM. You WILL feel a difference, I guarantee it!
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March 8th, 2009 at 2:45 pm
I applaud your efforts – this subject makes my blood boil so badly that I am barely even able to broach it without Liver Yang blowing my head off. I say we should be able to set up “medical Colleges” and, as long as one has a L.Ac. degree, we should be able to practice Western medicine with 300 hours of home study and videos.
The general public thinks that they are getting someone safer and more qualified to stick needles in them if they have an M.D. or a D.O. after their name. – and then there are the chiros and the bunion doctors and the teeth doctors – don’t get me started….
This is egregious in every sense of the word – honestly, it angers me so much that I have to not think about it.
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March 26th, 2009 at 9:14 pm
Being angry is not going to solve the problem. Being realistic is. The problem is that there are too many factions within our profession: and there are many who do not understand what it takes to achieve the status that has been bestowed upon MD’s and other healthcare professionals. Until we become less “fringe” and more accepted by the general populace this is how we will be treated.
Until we are part of medicare (which is the gate keeper for the major meds) and are able to treat Workman’s comp, I’m sorry…we will never be considered within the same professional status in the eyes of the public.
I realize this is a heated issue, and calls forth all kinds of ego defensive responses from our “peers”. It is the truth, and if some don’t want to face it…that’s the problem. This is the bottom line of achieving the same status as the “conventional” medical community. As a very good friend of mine who is an acupuncturist has said, “It is time to put down the granola”. Elyse
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