Doctor of Acupuncture (DAc.) and Doctor of Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine (DAcHM) Programs

DAc & DAcHM Programs

The purpose of VUIM’s First Professional Doctorate in Acupuncture program – titled the Doctor of Acupuncture (DAc.) – and First Professional Doctorate in Oriental Medicine program – titled the Doctor of Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine – is to foster competent Oriental medicine practitioners through advanced studies. To incorporate this purpose, VUIM set forth the following goals for its Doctor of Acupuncture (DAc.) and Doctor of Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine (DAcHM) Programs:

To offer advanced and comprehensive education in acupuncture and Oriental medicine beyond the Master’s level

To graduate healthcare professionals with clinical skills, specialization, and collaboration competence

To prepare healthcare professionals for active contributions to the community through acupuncture practice.

To serve the program’s purpose and goals, VUIM incorporates the following education outcomes into curriculum:

Advancement of the knowledge and skills of advanced TCM diagnosis.

Advancement of the knowledge and skills related to biomedicine

Development of the ability to practice within the field of integrative medicine, either independently or collaboratively as a part of a team of providers.

Development of the ability to apply various TCM modalities to clinical cases

Development of the ability to collaborate with healthcare professionals

Development of the ability to synthesize medical information for clinical use in an integrative medical setting. Guided by the two programs’ goals and outcomes, the proposed Doctor of Acupuncture (DAc.) and Doctor of Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine (DAcHM) programs strive to cultivate professional competencies in students at two stages: foundational and advanced levels. At the foundational stage, students are equipped with the following skills:

Foundational Knowledge

Critical Thinking/Professional Judgment

History Taking and Physical Examination

Diagnosis

Case Management

AOM Treatment 

Emergency Care

Education and Communication

Ethics and Practice Management


At the advanced stage, students are equipped with the following skills:

Mastery of advanced Diagnostic skills

Familiarization with the contemporary patient care system

Involvement in collaborative care

Formulating and implementing plans for individual professional development

Incorporating scholarship, research and Evidence-Based Medicine/Evidence-Informed Practice into patient care


The learning outcomes laid out in the programs’ curriculum will follow the guidelines below:

The foundational level curriculum will remain the same while the contents of the advanced classes will be distinguishable from the Master’s level

Advanced class materials will be delivered in an integrative approach, straddling Eastern and Western medicines

Clinical medicine classes will focus on medical subjects incorporating   different diagnosis skills and treatment modalities

Didactic courses will be taught by subject experts and delivered in an evidence-based fashion

The upper level of clinical training accommodates student’s areas of interest, leading to specialty development in addition to an increased capacity to work in an integrative setting

NOTE: The Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM) is the recognized accrediting agency for programs preparing acupuncture and Oriental medicine practitioners. ACAOM is located at 8941 Aztec Drive, Eden Prairie, Minnesota 55347; phone 952/212-2434; fax 952/657-7068; www.acaom.org
 

ACAOM institutional and programmatic accreditation status and notes may be viewed at https://acaom.org/directory-menu/directory/

 The Virginia University of Integrative Medicine (“VUIM”) Professional Doctorate [Doctor of Acupuncture (DAc.) / Doctor of Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine (DAcHM)] program, approved to begin enrolling students, is not yet accredited or pre-accredited by ACAOM. Graduates of this program are not considered to have graduated from an ACAOM-accredited or pre-accredited program and may not rely on ACAOM accreditation or pre-accreditation for professional licensure or other purposes. This program is eligible for ACAOM accreditation, and VUIM is currently in the process of seeking ACAOM pre – accreditation/accreditation for the program. However, VUIM can provide no assurance that pre-accreditation or accreditation will be granted by ACAOM.