How much training does a Doctor of Oriental Medicine have?

Oriental Medicine and Acupuncturist physicians are trained in accredited graduate schools for 3-4 years and are licensed by most states. The NCCAOM (National Commission for the Certification of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine) maintains a directory of certified practitioners on their web site, www.NCCAOM.org.

An Acupuncturist Physician has to obtain from an accredited institution, a master's degree in Oriental Medicine  including in depth study of Oriental Medicine principles as well as western biomedical approaches to illness. As a consumer it is important to know that there is a difference between acupuncture and medical acupuncture. The amount of hours required for these individual certifications is about 10:1.

In addition, you might read the Acupuncture Information and Resource Package from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM).