Certification

The National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) provides national board certification. NCCAOM is a non-profit organization established in 1982 to promote nationally recognized standards of competency and safety for the practice of acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, and Oriental bodywork.

To be eligible to take the NCCAOM exam, an applicant must have successfully completed a formal education in acupuncture or Oriental medicine through an accredited school (although apprenticeship can allow for eligibility in certain cases). See the table for education requirements. At present there are more than 50 accredited schools of acupuncture and Oriental medicine in the United States.

A doctoral level program in Oriental Medicine is currently being designed and approval is expected within the next two years.