Doctorate of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (DAOM)

1) Satisfactory completion of an ACAHM accredited or pre-accredited entry-level program (i.e. Masters or Professional Doctorate) in Oriental medicine.

2) Submission of official transcripts from your Master’s degree in Oriental Medicine. Transcripts must be received in a sealed envelope or directly from the institution in a secure digital format. Students will be required to submit official transcripts from all other institutions from which academic credit was earned if the student intends to request transfer of credit.

All foreign-trained students who have completed undergraduate and/or graduate-level training overseas must provide a Foreign Transcript Evaluation for each degree attained. An official transcript for these degrees will be requested from the student. For those who have also completed an advanced degree (Masters, Doctorate) from an accredited institution in the English language in the United States but completed their undergraduate training overseas, the student will not need to provide an official transcript from their foreign institution; foreign transcript evaluations will still be required. The student must provide an official transcript from the US-based institution of study.

• Degrees earned outside of the US, issued by an institution not recognized by the department of education must be translated and evaluated by an agency recognized by NACES (National association of Credential Evaluation Services) or AICE (Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc.). VUIM offers a service for a fee through FIS (Foundation for International Services, Inc.), a member of NACES.

3) Completed application for admission.

4) Complete three short answer questions.

5) Case Study Submission.

6) Application fee.

7) English language proficiency (English programs):

• Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-Based Test (TOEFL IBT) — Total: 61

• International English Language Testing System (IELTS), Academic Format — Overall Band: 6

• Duolingo English Test — 90

• China Standard of English Language (CSE) — CSE 6

• Cambridge First Certificate in English (FCE) — C

• Cambridge English Advanced (CAE) — C

• Common European Framework Reference (CEFR) — B2

• Occupational English Test (OET) — 250, C

• Pearson Test of English (PTE), Academic — Overall: 45

• Completion of a two year degree (60 semester or 90 quarter credits) at the baccalaureate or masters level, at an accredited US college or University in the US, or at a college or University in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada (not including Quebec), New Zealand, or Ireland.

8) 300 – 700 word essay – “What inspired you to pursue a career in acupuncture and/or Oriental medicine?”

9) Recommendation.

10) Photo ID.

Special Admissions for VUIM’s DAOM

Applicants who are licensed acupuncturists but did not graduate from an ACAHM accredited or pre-accredited institution may be eligible for admission into the DAOM program through the following process:

• All applicants will be reviewed by the Academic Dean in order to validate that the applicants has achieved professional competencies equivalent to an ACAHM-accredited or pre- accredited master’s degree or master’s level program in acupuncture or in Oriental medicine.

• Students with deficiencies may be eligible to complete outstanding coursework through successful completion of specified courses in VUIM’s masters program or through successful completion of challenge examinations.

• Note: All pre-requisite and co-requisite credits will not count towards the DAOM program.

Transfer Credit for VUIM’s DAOM

• VUIM will accept up to one-third (31 credits) of the program’s training requirements from an ACAHM accredited institution. An official transcript is required. Transferring credits from OM schools in foreign countries may be considered if the foreign program demonstrates that the coursework completed is consistent with those offered by VUIM. Credits earned at a foreign educational institution must be validated by a recognized educational credentials evaluation service.

• During the review of candidates for this program, specific attention is paid to the students’ background in AOM, how they respond to short answer questions regarding their interest and contribution to the field, as well as their academic background.