How Long Does It Take to Become an Acupuncturist? Longer than You Might Think.

When patients ask this question, my response is not what they expected. Asian (or Chinese) Medicine is a complex and multi-layered system thought to originate from the Han Dynasty (206 BC-221 AD). While there is some debate about its precise beginnings, this is a widely accepted timeframe. Interestingly though, Ötzi, the Iceman, might have undergone a form of acupuncture. For those unfamiliar, Ötzi is a remarkably well-preserved mummy of a man who died around 5,300 years ago, discovered in 1991 by hikers in the melting snow of the Ötztal Alps in Italy. The tattoos found on his body correspond with some traditional acupuncture points and are located in areas that were likely painful.

I mention this because it illustrates that it has had a lot of time to evolve and transform into today's Asian Medicine, which is quite similar to what was practiced in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), when the "Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion" was published, laying the foundation for modern acupuncture techniques. You can imagine that at that point in history, people were greatly exposed to the elements. Consequently, may of the ways of speaking of the disharmonies that show up in our bodies, even today, are using nature as a metaphor. For example, a body can be invaded by wind, dampness, cold or heat. We even speak of pernicious external evils (causes of disease that come from outside the body). Another, more widely known premises, is the theory of Yin and Yang. This fundamental building block of Asian Medicine is much more complex than night/day, feminine/masculine and when understood in depth, it gives insight into each patient's their constitution and disharmonies.

In short, learning this extremely effective form of medicine means learning an entirely different cosmology of the body and health compared to what we have traditionally grown up with in westernized countries. In addition to the above, the greatest difference is that we focus on the individual and address the disharmonies in the person, rather than just the symptoms of those disharmonies. For example, why John gets headaches is going to be different than why Joe gets headaches, which is going to be different as to why Jane gets headaches. In order to be effective, a lot of time is spent learning how to first identify, and then successfully treat the imbalances, not the symptoms that the imbalance is demonstrating. To do this, they need to be proficient in simple, but difficult to master, diagnostic techniques. Subsequently, practitioners have to know how to identify the changes as the body comes into balance, and how to modify treatments accordingly.

So, what does it take to receive a Master's Degree in Acupuncture - the minimal amount needed to practice across the United States? First, students must enter the program with at least 60 semester credit hours from a traditional higher education setting. A Master's in Acupuncture alone (without herbal training) is at least three years in length, and 102 semester credits (or a minimum of 2,000 clock hours), of which 660 must be instruction in clinical training. This typically means seeing patients in the college's supervised student clinic.

A Master's Degree in Asian Medicine (which is what I have), is at least four years in length, 146 credit hours of which 870 hours must be instruction in clinical training. This typically means seeing patients in the college's supervised student clinic offering both acupuncture and herbal medicine to patients. Keep in mind that these are minimum hours, most schools require more. My own training was over 3,000 hours!

Tuition costs vary widely throughout the USA. For example, Dragon Rises College's (in Florida) tuition is about $45,000, while a New York City College's tuition is $115,000. To me, it is important to point out that, in addition to all of the other expenses that come along with enrolling in any program of study - commuting expenses, books, apps, medical reference books, supplies, and loss of potential income due to not having time to work much while enrolled in such a rigorous program - there are also the sacrifices and life-style adjustments that students make. Although the average age of students in Asian Medicne schools has gone down considerabley from an era when most students were pursuing a second career (often seeking a more fulfilling livelihood) many still make the sacrifices of time away from family, friends, travel and other life activities.

Once graduated, the next states is to take the National Certification Exam for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. An exhaustive test comprised of three-four parts: Acupuncture point location and theory (361 points are the basic points, but there are many more); Foundations of Oriental Medicine; Biomedicine (western medicine diseases and prescription drugs); and Chinese Herbal Medicine for those who chose that track of study. Additionally, students must pass the Clean Needle Technique exam. This ensures the safe and hygienic handling of disposable needles is practiced.

Once all exams are passed, licensing is applied for in the state of practice. This may entail other requirements which vary from a background check to yet another state exam!

Becoming an Acupuncturist or a practitioner of Asian Medicine is a grueling, all-consuming process. Most students leave excited to start practicing, if not also in need of some rest and relaxation!