| FAQ >> |
Is KCCM an Accredited or Candidate institution?
Yes, the Master of Oriental Medicine Program was granted candidacy status by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM) in February 2007.. KCCM is in the process of seeking accreditation.
ACAOM is the recognized accrediting agency for the approval of programs preparing acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Practitioners. ACAOM is located in the Maryland Trade Center Bldg. #3, 7501 Greenway Center Drive, Ste. 760, Greenbelt, MD 20770; 301/313-0855; FAX 301/313-0912. Click here to read more>>
What is the value of attending a school that has achieved candidacy or accreditation?
The National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, which provides the examination required in most states, requires that individuals who enroll in an acupuncture or Oriental medicine college in the U.S. after July 1, 1999 must graduate from a college that is ACAOM accredited or achieved candidacy status at the time of graduation. This achievement attests to the College professional status in the field Oriental Medicine education and ensures its graduates are eligible for National Certification testing.
What is the salary range of a practitioner of acupuncture and Oriental medicine?
Gross annual income varies depending on the area of the country in which you establish your practice. In California wages range from $30,000/year to more than $100,000/year. In the Midwest wages range from $25,000/year to $80,000/year.
What is a typical workday like for a practitioner of Oriental Medicine?
A patient session takes approximately thirty minutes to an hour with an initial evaluation taking an additional fifteen to thirty minutes. The practitioner will interview the client, perform a differential diagnosis, discuss treatment protocols and expected results and perform the appropriate procedure based on the diagnosis. Oriental Medicine practitioners are generally skilled in the performance of Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine preparation and other related TCM therapies such as Moxibustion, Qigong or Tuina (Bodywork).
As with any medical practice there is always paperwork such as documenting patient information and treatment or performing other office duties such as filing, scheduling appointments or accounting.
What states regulate Oriental Medicine and/or Acupuncture?
The following States have Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine statutes or have introduced legislation and are nearing regulation. Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California* (uses it's own State exam), Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana Iowa, Louisiana* (has no exam), Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada* (uses its own State exam), New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin
*Do not use NCCAOM
The following States allow practice through a ruling by the Board of Medical Examiners:
Kansas and Michigan
Legislation has been introduced in the follow states:
Alabama, Kentucky, Michigan, Oklahoma, Wyoming
Click on the following American Association of Oriental Medicine website link to view each state regulatory agency link http://aaom.org/45065.asp
Do regulated states have requirements for licensure?
Most states with licensure regulations require formal schooling and examination requirements for licensure such as completion of an accredited or candidate program, Certification from the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM). A few states recognize apprenticeship as a route to licensure. In states that do not recognize acupuncturists or Oriental Medicine practitioners for licensure they may be required to work under the supervision of another medical person such as a medical doctor or an osteopathic doctor. In a few states, the practice of acupuncture is restricted to medical doctors or their equivalent.
What is the Kansas licensure requirement for a Diplomate of Acupuncture or Oriental Medicine?
The State of Kansas does not have a licensure category for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Practitioners. To engage in these therapies the Diplomate must have an order and supervision by a person licensed by the Board of Healing Arts.
The following is in accordance with KCCM communication from the Kansas Board of Healing Arts and in no way indicates KCCM’s interpretation of the law or how it may be applied to the individual practitioner:
The term supervision generally implies the authority over another’s conduct, whether or not that authority is exercised. Under the healing arts act, a licensee must have authority over the professional relationship with the patient. The statutes do allow a licensee to delegate performance of services that constitute the healing arts to an unlicensed person if the licensee knows that unlicensed person is competent to perform those services. The degree of supervision required varies depending upon the skill of the person who performs the services.
In order for a Diplomate to engage in treatment of human diseases under the supervision of a licensee, there must first be a professional relationship between a licensee and the patient, the licensee must make or concur in the diagnosis, the licensee must know what services are being performed and have reason to know the competence of the Diplomate to perform the treatment and have authority to determine that the services are not appropriate for the patient in a given instance.
The limitations of the healing arts act do not allow the Diplomate to practice independently. To read the Kansas Statutes Annotated, chapter 65, Article 28 of the Board of Healing Arts Act Click here>> http://www.ksbha.org/statutes/haact.html#2801
Are there pre-requisites or co-requisites for admission to KCCM?
Admission to the Oriental Bodywork Program does not require pre-requisites or co-requisites. However, a high school diploma or equivalent is required for application. KCCM does not require its candidates for the Master of Oriental Program to have an undergraduate degree. However, at least two years, or 60 credit hours of pre-requisite undergraduate study prior to entry is required. KCCM candidates are also required to complete at least 3 credit hours of Biology, Psychology, Chemistry or Physics within the first two-years of study. These co-requisite credit hours may also be included in the initial 60 credit hours of undergraduate study.
For a complete listing of KCCM application criteria Click here >>
Does KCCM accept transfer credits from other colleges and universities?
Transfer credit for the Oriental Bodywork Program is given only from State approved or accredited Massage Schools or from accredited colleges or from Oriental Medicine Colleges in candidacy status, or accredited by ACAOM, for actual course work or relevant experience that directly involved the student in the area of the required curriculum.
Transfer credit for the Master of Oriental Medicine Program is given only from accredited colleges or from Oriental Medicine Colleges in candidacy status or accredited by ACAOM, for actual coursework or relevant experience that directly involved the student in the area of the required curriculum.
Applicants must submit transfer credit request on the appropriate Request for Transfer Credit Form at the time of application.
How much does it cost to attend the KCCM Oriental Bodywork Program?
Average cost to attend the Oriental Bodywork Program is $6,800 including fees, malpractice insurance, textbooks and some massage products. For a detailed list of Tuition and fees click here.>>
How much does it cost to attend the KCCM Master of Oriental Medicine Program?
Average cost to attend the Master of Oriental Medicine Program is $8,000-$9,000 per year or $32,000-$36,000 for the entire Program. Costs may differ slightly depending on courses transferred and current year cost of Malpractice Insurance. For a detailed list of Tuition and fees click here>>
Is financial aid available?
KCCM offers payment plans to its full time students, is approved for Veterans Administration funding and has made application for Federal Title IV funding.
How long will it take me to complete the Program at KCCM?
It takes approximately 12-18 months to complete the Oriental Bodywork Program depending on the schedule of classes chosen and completion of clinical practicum requirements.
The Master of Oriental Medicine Program is a four-year course of study.
How many days a week will I attend classes?
Classes for the Oriental Bodywork Program are held on evenings and weekends. Students will attend one to two evenings a week, approximately two weekends per month in addition to four-eight clinical practicum hours per week.
Classes for the Master of Oriental Medicine Program are held weekdays. Students will attend three to four days a week, an occasional weekend, in addition to four-eight clinical observation/practicum hours per week.
What career opportunities are available for graduates?
Many KCCM graduates are self-employed, work in holistic medical groups or with Chiropractic physicians or Medical Doctors. There are many opportunities for growth in the field of Oriental Bodywork and Oriental Medicine. These therapies are well accepted in both Eastern and Western coast states and are becoming increasingly more popular in the Mid-West. Most states regulate the practice of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine and many insurance companies are now covering patient visits for therapy.
When was Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) developed?
Traditional Chinese medicine has its roots in ancient history. Early practitioners used stone needles. Inscriptions on bones and tortoise shells dating to the Shang Dynasty 3000 years ago bear the earliest written record of the pictograms for acupuncture and moxibustion. During the third and second centuries B.C., the "Yellow Emperor's Internal Classic" was compiled. This work laid the theoretical foundation of Chinese Medicine and is still utilized today. The content of this classic includes physiology and pathology of the human body, principles of diagnosis and prevention and treatment of disease.
What are the basic theories of TCM?
The theories of Yin and Yang, the Five Elements, Zang-fu Organs, Meridians and Acupoints, Qi, Blood and Body Fluids, the Seven Emotions and the Six Pathogens, Four Diagnostic Methods and Syndrome Differentiation form the basic theories of Chinese Medicine. Acupuncture, Moxibustion and Herbal Medicine are the main forms of treatment.
What are the key factors of TCM?
TCM has its own unique understandings about the physiological activities and pathological changes in the human body and has many key factors in terms of the diagnosis and treatment of disease. This unique system utilizes two basic components, integrity and treatment based on syndrome differentiation viewing the body as an organic whole. At its core is the system of Zang-fu organs, which are linked through the body’s meridian system or energy pathways.
TCM also views the relationship between the person and nature as an integrated whole. Although TCM recognizes the importance of the six climatic factors and seven emotions in the pathogenesis of diseases, it emphasizes the importance of the endogenous pathogenic factors even more. A diagnostic system of syndrome differentiation (bian zheng) has been created based on the four diagnostic methods, the eight principal syndromes and the differentiation according to the theory of the zang-fu organs.
TCM places its first priority in prevention, with treatment of disease as a secondary step in patient care. A TCM practitioner will treat disharmony and disease by looking first at the root cause, and at the same time accounting for the climatic and seasonal external conditions, geographic location and the patient constitution.
What is herbal medicine?
Many different types of natural medicine use herbs as part of their practice. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioners generally use plants native to China or Asia. An herb can be a root, a piece of tree bark, a mushroom, seed, berry, or anything else which grows naturally and falls into the plant kingdom. An herbal practitioner utilizes herbal formulas that may contain any or all of these plant components as a method of providing nutritional balance.
What is Qi in TCM?
The ancient Chinese described the essential life force or vital-energy as Qi, which is present throughout the cosmos and in every living creature. This Qi constantly moves and changes. Qi enters the body in a number of ways mostly through food and breath. Qi is circulated throughout the body along specific pathways called meridians. These meridians link the vital organs inside with the skin and muscles on the body surface, as well as form the channels of communication between the vital organs and accessory organs of the body.
