Understanding the Credentials of a Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner
Ever see letters after someone’s name and wonder what it stands for? If you’re not in healthcare, there’s a good chance that anything beyond MD or PhD has you doing a little extra research. If you’re not looking up those letters, I suggest you do, as many of them have varying levels of education and expertise. This ensures you are getting the best care by qualified individuals.
Licensed Acupuncturist (LAC)
Acupuncture licensure is obtained through the Oregon Medical Board, the same licensing body that regulates Medical Doctors (MD), Osteopathic Doctors (DO) and Physician Assistants (PA) in Oregon.
To apply for a license in acupuncture in Oregon, you have to earn a master’s degree from an accredited Traditional Chinese medical program, after first earning a bachelor’s degree. Then a passing score on four national board examinations in biomedicine, Traditional Chinese medical theory, acupuncture and herbal medicine is required.
To maintain this licensure you are subject to complete a number of continuing education classes every year, ensuring that your skills and knowledge are up to date with the latest information.
Master of Science in Oriental Medicine (MSOM)
Other versions of this degree go by the title MAcOM (Master of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine) or MAc (Master of Acupuncture). Unlike many master’s programs which are two years in length, a TCM master’s degree is a total of three to four years, with one of those years including clinical internship.
To achieve a Doctorate in Traditional Chinese medicine, you must complete an additional 1-2 years of education. Meaning, if you see a Dr. before an acupuncturists name and DAOM (Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine), this means they went to school for 4-6 years depending on the length of their respective program!
You may also see the “O” replaced with a “C” in many of the above degrees, as many acupuncturists lead the fight for the official removal of the word “Oriental” from our profession.
What is in our scope of practice?
It’s more than acupuncture!
Traditional Chinese medicine school includes three years of western biomedical courses taught by a doctor. To ensure the safety of patients, it’s crucial to know how the human body works from a Traditional Chinese medicine perspective AND biomedical perspective. Though we cannot officially diagnose you with a western biomedical diagnosis, we are able to identify red flags and refer you to the appropriate professionals who can. In the state of Oregon, Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners are not considered primary care physicians (like your doctor) so we work closely with other healthcare professionals to provide the best resources available for your care.
Those who hold this master’s degree also have hundreds of hours of training in other Traditional Chinese medical modalities that accompany acupuncture, such as moxibustion, cupping, gua sha, nutrition, bodywork and herbal medicine!
All of the modalities within Chinese medicine have been culturally appropriated (gua sha, cupping etc). Many folks within other professions are simply taking weekend workshops in these modalities (often not taught by a professional in TCM or from someone of East Asian culture) and performing it with little to no understanding of its uses in Traditional Chinese medicine or the historical context. Not only can this be medically dangerous, but it is rooted in colonialism and dilutes the quality of the medicine.
If you’re receiving Traditional Chinese medical modalities from someone who is not a licensed acupuncturist or from East Asian culture, be sure to ask them who they learned from to ensure the integrity of this traditional medicine in the United States!
How is an LAc different from a Naturopathic Doctor (ND)?
You can think of a Naturopathic Doctor as having almost all of the same resources as Medical Doctors (MD). They can write you a pharmaceutical prescription, provide vaccinations, lab testing, and even conduct minor surgery. Naturopathic Doctors are also trained in holistic healing methods that involve nutrition, herbs and hydrotherapy. Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese medicine is not apart of Naturopathic training (unless you’re in some states like Arizona!). They must go through additional training to be able to perform these modalities. If you see an ND offering acupuncture in Oregon, they would have to have that LAc credential. Alternatively, pharmaceutical prescriptions, labs and surgery are not apart of the scope of practice of an acupuncturist in Oregon.
A Note On Credentials
As a white woman practicing medicine from a culture that is not my own, I feel is it important to unpack the concept of credentials. Who and where do we get our healthcare information? Who do we trust?
Western culture is largely centered around capitalism, which is inherently a hierarchical system benefiting the dominant class. Typically those who have more credentials in the system, are deemed to have more authority and knowledge.
This authority, which is often the result of colonialist structures, is problematic. It belittles experience and thousands of years of acquired generational knowledge. This has long led to instant dismissal of acupuncture and herbal medicine within the western medical community, despite its widespread use across the globe and ongoing researching proving its efficacy (though this is changing!).
Credentialing systems have an important role in protecting the public from those looking to capitalize and spread misinformation. They also allow patients to take legal action when malpractice has occurred. You will not get this same legal protection from unlicensed individuals like wellness influencers.
That being said, credentialing systems also keep the dominate perspective in power. So we must ask, who are the gatekeepers of knowledge? Finding a practitioner who actively acknowledges the role of traditional cultures in healthcare is critical in dismantling the colonialist structures that currently define medical systems.
With respect and gratitude,
Kecia Fox, MSOM, LAc