To become an Acupuncturist, students must attend a graduate school program in Oriental Medicine for 3-4 years. Most Acupuncture schools require 2,500 – 3,000 hours of training
before graduation. Once the training has been completed, graduates sit for the national board exams given by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and
Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM), which is the only national board examination certifying
Acupuncturists in the United States.
A minimum of 1,800 hours of Chinese Medical education and supervised clinical training
plus graduation from an accredited acupuncture school (which most require 2,500 – 3,000
hours) is required to sit for this exam. It is a two-day test of written and practical
acupuncture skills, and theory along with biomedical knowledge.
An Acupuncturist, upon passing the NCCAOM exam is awarded the title "Diplomate of
Acupuncture of the NCCAOM" (Dipl.Ac.). Certification is renewed every four years with
the requirement of completing at least 60 hours of continuing education.
The Colorado State Department of Regulatory Agencies regulates acupuncture in the state
of Colorado. Only those who pass the N.C.C.A.O.M. exam are awarded the title of "Licensed Acupuncturist" (L.Ac.) by the state of Colorado.
The Acupuncture Association of Colorado (AAC) is the professional association for
nationally board certified Acupuncturists in this state.
There are other standards for those calling themselves "Acupuncturists" in Colorado:
- Chiropractors (D.C.s)- need only 100 hours of training, review 25 case histories and
no examination to legally perform "acupuncture" in Colorado.
- Medical Doctors (M.D.s) and Doctors of Osteopathy (D.O.s) have no minimum
training requirements to do "acupuncture" in this state. They call themselves
"Medical Acupuncturists."
- There is an optional class at UCLA for physicians to learn "acupuncture." It is only
350 hours.
Ask your Acupuncturist if he or she is NCCAOM certified (Dipl.Ac.) and a Licensed
Acupuncturist (L.Ac) with the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies, to insure
that you are receiving care from a well-qualified Acupuncturist. If you have any questions
about the practice of acupuncture please call the Acupuncture Association of Colorado
