What is the difference between a Licensed acupuncturist
&
a chiropractor that does acupuncture?
To become an acupuncturist, a student attends a graduate school program in Traditional Chinese Medicine for 3 - 4 years. After graduation, the students sits for the National exam given by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM), which is the ONLY national board examination, certifying acupuncturists in the U.S.A.
A minimum of 1,800 hours of Chinese Medical Education and supervised clinical training is required to sit for this exam. Currently, the requirement to sit for this exam is a graduate degree (M.S.) from an Chinese Medical School, most of which are 2,200+ hour programs. It is a two-day test of written and practical acupuncture skills and theory.
Only those who pass and complete the NCCAOM national board exam are awarded the title of "Licensed Acupuncturist" (L.Ac.). This credential is renewed every four years with the requirement of completing at least 60 hours of continuing education units.
The North Carolina Acupuncture Licensing Board regulates acupuncture, in the state of North Carolina. In order to practice in the state, an acupuncturist must be a member of the NCCAOM, with current continuing education units along with additional credentials
such as clean needle technique, CPR training along with OSHA and HIPPA compliance.
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Please Note- Chiropractors: need only 200 hours of training (of which only 100 hours need to be in person) to legally perform acupuncture in N.C.
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