Oregon Administrative Rules
Chapter 847 - OREGON MEDICAL BOARD
Division 70 - ACUPUNCTURE
Section 847-070-0016 - Qualifications
Universal Citation: OR Admin Rules 847-070-0016
Current through Register Vol. 63, No. 9, September 1, 2024
(1) An applicant for licensure as an acupuncturist must have:
(a) Graduated from an
acupuncture program that satisfies the standards of the Accreditation
Commission for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine (ACAHM), or its successor
organization, or an equivalent accreditation body that are in effect at the
time of the applicant's graduation. An acupuncture program may be established
as having satisfied those standards by demonstration of one of the following:
(A) Accreditation, or candidacy for
accreditation by ACAHM at the time of graduation from the acupuncture program;
or
(B) Approval by a foreign
government's Ministry of Education, or Ministry of Health, or equivalent
foreign government agency at the time of graduation from the acupuncture
program. Each applicant must submit their documents to a foreign credential
equivalency service, which is approved by the National Certification Commission
for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) for the purpose of establishing
equivalency to the ACAHM accreditation standard. Acupuncture programs that wish
to be considered equivalent to an ACAHM accredited program must also meet the
curricular requirements of ACAHM in effect at the time of graduation.
(b) Current certification in
acupuncture by the NCCAOM. An applicant will be deemed certified by the NCCAOM
in Acupuncture if the applicant has passed the NCCAOM Acupuncture Certification
Examinations or has been certified through the NCCAOM Credentials Documentation
Examination.
(A) The applicant must pass three
(3) NCCAOM Certification exam components: Biomedicine, Foundations of Oriental
Medicine, and Acupuncture with Point Location.
(B) The applicant has no more than four
attempts to pass each component of the NCCAOM Certification Exam listed in
subsection (A) of this section. If the applicant does not pass each component
of the NCCAOM Certification Exam within four attempts, the applicant is not
eligible for licensure.
(C) An
applicant who has passed each component of the NCCAOM Certification Exam but
not within the four attempts required by this rule may request a waiver of this
requirement if the applicant passed each component of the exam within five
attempts and:
(i) Has obtained a Doctor of
Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine degree; or
(ii) Experienced extenuating circumstances
that do not indicate an inability to safely practice acupuncture as determined
by the Board.
(2) An applicant who does not meet the criteria in OAR 847-070-0016(1) must have the following qualifications:
(a) Five years of licensed clinical
acupuncture practice in the United States. This practice must include a minimum
of 500 acupuncture patient visits per year. Documentation must include:
(A) Two affidavits from office partners,
clinic supervisors, accountants, or others approved by the Board, who have
personal knowledge of the years of practice and number of patient visits per
year; and
(B) Notarized copies of
samples of appointment books, patient charts and financial records, or other
documentation as required by the Board; and
(b) Practice as a licensed acupuncturist in
the U.S. during five of the last seven years prior to application for Oregon
licensure. Licensed practice includes clinical practice, clinical supervision,
teaching, research, and other work as approved by the Board within the field of
acupuncture and oriental medicine. Documentation of this practice will be
required and is subject to Board approval; and
(c) Successful completion of the ACAHM
western medicine requirements in effect at the time of graduation from the
acupuncture program, unless the applicant graduated from a non-accredited
acupuncture program prior to 1989; and
(d) Current certification in acupuncture by
the NCCAOM. An applicant will be deemed certified in Acupuncture by the NCCAOM
if the applicant has passed the NCCAOM Acupuncture Certification Examinations
or has been certified through the NCCAOM Credentials Documentation Examination.
(A) The applicant must pass three (3) NCCAOM
Certification exam components: Biomedicine, Foundations of Oriental Medicine,
and Acupuncture with Point Location.
(B) The applicant has no more than four
attempts to pass each component of the NCCAOM Certification Exam listed in
subsection (A) of this section. If the applicant does not pass each component
of the NCCAOM Certification Exam within four attempts, the applicant is not
eligible for licensure.
(C) An
applicant who has passed each component of the NCCAOM Certification Exam but
not within the four attempts required by this rule may request a waiver of this
requirement if the applicant passed each component of the exam within five
attempts and:
(i) Has obtained a Doctor of
Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine degree; or
(ii) Experienced extenuating circumstances
that do not indicate an inability to safely practice acupuncture as determined
by the Board.
(3) An individual whose acupuncture training and diploma were obtained in a foreign country and who cannot document the requirements of subsections (1) or (2) of this rule because the required documentation is now unobtainable, may be considered eligible for licensure if it is established to the satisfaction of the Board that the applicant has equivalent skills and training and can document one year of training or supervised practice under a licensed acupuncturist in the United States.
(4) In addition to meeting the requirements in (1), (2) or (3) of this rule, all applicants for licensure must have the following qualifications:
(a)
Licensure in good standing from the state or states of all prior and current
health related licensure; and
(b)
Have good moral character as those traits would relate to the applicant's
ability properly engage in the practice of acupuncture; and
(c) Have the ability to communicate in the
English language well enough to be understood by patients and physicians. This
requirement is met if the applicant passes the NCCAOM written acupuncture
examination in English, or if in a foreign language, must also have passed an
English language proficiency examination, such as TOEFL (Test of English as a
Foreign Language), or TSE (Test of Spoken English). An applicant must obtain a
TOEFL score of 500 or more for the written TOEFL exam and 173 or more for the
computer based TOEFL exam, or a TSE score of 200 or more prior to July 1995,
and a score of 50 or more after July 1995. An applicant who is certified
through the NCCAOM Credentials Documentation Examination must also have passed
an English proficiency examination.
Statutory/Other Authority: ORS 677.265 & ORS 677.759
Statutes/Other Implemented: ORS 677.265, ORS 677.759 & ORS 677.780
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Oregon may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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