California Acupuncture Board Licensure - Accredit Acupuncture Training Programs CA

Licensure

There are, in essence, two different sets of regulations for those in the acupuncture profession. Thirty nine of the forty states that license acupuncturists follow one set of regulations, while one state, California, follows another.

The California Acupuncture Board establishes education requirements, accredits schools, and oversees a licensing examination process for schools and practitioners in California. Practitioners completing this process are designated a Licensed Acupuncturist with the initials L.Ac. To become a licensed acupuncturist in California, one must graduate from a state-approved instruction program of at least 3,000 hours and pass the state board’s examination. The training for California licensed acupuncturists includes basic Western sciences and Western medicine training as well as acupuncture, herbal medicine and oriental medical theory. The two other routes of eligibility to take the California acupuncture exams are completing an approved tutorial program or an approved foreign training program. Both the tutorial and foreign training programs must meet or surpass the requirements of the state approved schools.

View Curriculum Requirements of the California Acupuncture Board.

Almost all other states require acupuncture specialists to have taken the exams of and/or obtained certification from the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM). Practitioners with this certification are granted the title of Diplomate in Acupuncture (Dipl. Ac.), Herbology (Dipl. C.H.), or Oriental Medicine (Dipl. OM). While the NCCAOM develops and administers the exam, the standards of training and approval of schools is done by another organization, the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM), an organization approved by the U.S. Department of Education to accredit acupuncture training programs. The NCCAOM follows the curriculum requirements set by ACAOM when developing its exams and determining eligibility for applicants. Even with an NCCAOM certification and initials, different states then grant titles such as Licensed Acupuncturist (L.Ac. or Lic.Ac.), Certified Acupuncturist (C.A.), or Registered Acupuncturist (R.Ac.). Four states grant titles with wording including the term "doctor" or "physician," as in "doctor of oriental medicine" or "acupuncture physician."

View Curriculum Requirements of the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine

In addition, some states require little or no formal training for the certain licensed healthcare professionals to practice acupuncture, including medical doctors, osteopaths, chiropractors, naturopaths, dentists, podiatrists, and nurses.

Useful Info and Forms

Academic Calendar 2009/2010

Course Schedule - Spring 2010

Spring 2010 Registration Form

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Yo San University Student Association Handbook

2009 - 2010 Academic Catalog and Student Handbook

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Yo San Provides Integrative Care for Chronic Pain

On March 29, 2006, Yo San participated in the dedication of Venice Family Clinic’s new Simms/Mann Health and Wellness Center. In his keynote address, Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa mentioned “acupuncture” at the top of his list of complementary healing modalities.

For seven years, Yo San interns have been providing free acupuncture to Venice Family Clinic’s indigent patients. Now what’s so exciting is that we have added a second weekly shift, participating in VFC’s new pilot Multidisciplinary Chronic Pain Clinic. Yo San’s interns work with the Clinic Directors, MD’s, and other healthcare practitioners to address the epidemic of chronic pain.

The newly endowed $3.5 million Simms/Mann Health and Wellness Center represents the first health, wellness, and integrative medicine treatment center offered at a free clinic in the U.S. Yo San University is proud to be part of VFC’s ground-breaking work.

In her public message, VFC CEO, Elizabeth Benson Forer said, “Integrative medicine values all aspects of a person’s health—mind, body, and spirit.” Practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine have done this for thousands of years. We at Yo San University share these values and are pleased to serve the healthcare needs of the greater Los Angeles community.

Yo San Extends Its Reach

On August 27th and 28th, the city of Los Angeles staged the 2nd Annual Chinatown Food Festival. Former Los Angeles Councilman Michael Woo and Richard Fong L.Ac invited Yo San University to participate. The goal was to merge the concepts of Chinese food and Traditional Chinese Medicine to encourage a healthier, more productive lifestyle in the Los Angeles Community. Yo San graduate, Marius Imfeld, and Yo San Dean of Student Affairs, Steven Carter, led a large group of students and graduates in the events of the day. Almost one-hundred visitors to the Festival received Tongue & Pulse Analysis from our students and graduates; almost 500 visitors stopped by our booth to talk to us about our school & clinic, and to sample our special “Chinese Trail Mix” (longan, gou qi zi, and walnuts).

Yo San instructor Laraine Crampton joined us on both days, demonstrating Tongue & Pulse Analysis at its professional best. New student Hyun Chang Choi, who had just flown in from Korea to start his very first class at Yo San, spent twelve hours on Saturday doing set-up, break-down, and food preparation! Special thanks also to Aram Akopyan, David Fong, Amy LeSage, Michael Gonzales, and White Eagle Perry for their generous participation. We look forward to ongoing participation in events like the Chinatown Food Festival and the Spring Lotus Festival as we spread Yo San awareness throughout Los Angeles.

Yo San University celebrates 20 years of excellence in TCM Education