Choosing a Graduate Program in Oriental Medicine

There are approximately 50 candidate and accredited colleges of acupuncture and Oriental medicine in the United States. This checklist will help you evaluate available programs in order to select the one that is best for you.

There are many things to consider when looking for a graduate program. A graduate education is a comprehensive endeavor, involving a considerable investment of time, energy and finances.  It is important to compare colleges and their programs so that you can make an informed decision.

Reputation of the college is often the initial draw to a program. Reputation is built from of a number of factors, many of which are part of the checklist that follows. Check to make sure that the schools you are considering have a good reputation, and that they continually strive to maintain and improve that reputation.

Look at the following factors and ask these questions:

Program of Study

• Is the program accredited by ACAOM (the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine)?  Programs are accredited for periods of 3 to 5 years.  Only 8 of 50 schools currently have 5 year accreditation.
• Does the program offer a degree or a certificate of completion? 
• Will the program of study meet the requirements needed to obtain a license (or registration) in the state where you plan to practice?  California has the highest licensing requirements of any state.
• What is the passing rate of graduates on national and state licensing exams?  For California, you may compare the board exam (CALE) pass rates at www.acupuncture.ca.gov.  Pay particular attention to pass rates for first time test takers.
• How long is the program of study?  If you wish to practice in California, accredited colleges will be required to have 3000 hours in the Masters degree programs by the year 2005.
• How well is the curriculum defined?  Study the catalogs and compare the content and flow of the curriculum. 
• Analyze the cost of the program.  In comparing schools, some programs are set up on a quarter versus a semester system.  Compare the cost per classroom hour and per clinic hour to determine total program costs.
• Does the college have an ACAOM approved Doctoral program?  Recent changes to the field have given rise to approved programs offering a Doctorate of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.  Has the college developed a doctoral curriculum?  Have the applied to ACAOM for approval for this degree program?

The Faculty

• How many faculty teach at the college?  How long have they been teaching?  How long have they been licensed and in practice?
• Do the faculty come from diverse professional and educational backgrounds?  How many have both western medical and Oriental medical training?  How many were trained in China? 
• Look at the professional accomplishments of the faculty and note whether the college includes faculty from a wide variety of traditions within Oriental medicine. (ie: Traditional Chinese Medicine, Classical Five Element Acupuncture, Korean or Japanese Acupuncture, etc.)
• When you tour the school, sit in on classes to determine whether faculty members are engaging, knowledgeable and personable.

The Clinic

• What is the volume of patients seen in the clinic?  Do patients represent a diverse cross section of the population and a varied range of health problems?
• What is the ratio of interns-to-supervisors?   What is the ratio of interns-to-patients?  You will receive superior training if there is a one-to-one intern-to-patient ratio.  Some colleges do not have adequate patient volume to offer this level of training.
• When performing observation in the clinic, will you be observing licensed faculty or student interns?
• How large is the clinic?  How many treatment rooms?  Is the clinic located within the college campus?
• Is there an herbal pharmacy within the clinic?  What types of herbs are available through the clinic – raw herbs, powders, patent medicines?
• When you tour the school, notice if the clinic is clean, quiet and well organized.  Does it provide a healing atmosphere?
• Clinical externship opportunities are increasingly valuable to gaining experience in an integrated medicine setting.  What externship agreements does the college have in place?  How many externship sites are there?  Where are they located in reference to the college?  What types of patients and volume of patients will interns see at these externship sites?

College Location

• Is the college located in the state where you intend to practice?  Be familiar with the various licensing requirements of different states.  Not all colleges meet the requirements for all states.  California has the highest educational and licensing standards in the United States.
• Is the campus located in a safe and desirable neighborhood? 
• How far will you need to commute to attend classes?  Is public transportation and/or parking available?
• What amenities are located near the campus?  Restaurants, parks, entertainment, schools and daycares, etc.
• What facilities are available on campus?
• Is there a library with a comprehensive and up to date selection of books and periodicals?
• Is there a bookstore?
• Are computers available so students may access the Internet or email?
• Are there areas for students to study and rest between classes?

Class Schedules

• When are classes offered?  Daytime, nights, weekends?  If you need flexible scheduling, ask to see copies of the class schedules for the past year to see whether the classes will work with your existing schedule.
• How often are classes scheduled?  This is very important for working students and those taking the program part-time, as many courses are prerequisites to others.  If courses are offered infrequently, students may find it takes longer than expected to complete the program of study.
• Are there a number of interesting electives in the program?

Class Size

• How many students are currently enrolled? 
• What is the average size of lecture classes and Practical classes?
• Are there enough students in the program to maintain flexibility of scheduling and a variety of electives?

Alumni

• Note the accomplishments of the college’s alumni.  How many of them have gone on to teach, conduct research, write or publish?
• What percentage of the alumni is in private practice?
• What is the current default rate on repayment of student loans?
• Ask the college if they can put you in contact with any of their alumni.  Talk with the alumni about their experience of the program.
• Do the alumni receive any placement assistance upon graduation? 
• Do the alumni receive any future educational benefits from the college, such as discounts on continuing education programs?

Administrative Staff

• How accessible are members of the administration?
• Do students have access to the President/CEO, the Academic Dean or Clinical Dean when they wish to present ideas or concerns?
• What type of academic planning and counseling is available?  Are students encouraged or required to meet with someone in the administration to guide their program of study? 
• Who is on the Board of Directors?  How involved are they in guiding the direction of the college?  What are their professional backgrounds?
• Is there a Student Council that regularly meets to generate ideas and suggestions?  Do they share these regularly with the administration?