Doctor of Acupuncture with a Chinese Herbal Medicine Specialization
Curriculum Overview
The Doctor of Acupuncture with a Chinese Herbal Medicine Specialization (DAcCHM) program is a full-time program that consists of ten, 15-week trimesters, typically completed in just over three years or approximately 39 months for full-time students. The curriculum is a balance of foundational Chinese medicine theory, Western biomedicine, professional development, and clinical skills.
The first year of courses is an immersion in Chinese medical theory, acupuncture point location, and the study of human anatomy. Students will begin “hands-on” skill training in the first year. The program will build on the groundwork from the first year with further study in Chinese medicine clinical techniques, diagnosis, and treatment planning. Clinical training begins in the fifth trimester, and students will take what they have learned in the classroom and begin to implement it in the clinical environment while learning advanced practice skills. Students will learn how to utilize a full range of clinical knowledge and skills, including acupuncture, Tui Na, guasha, moxibustion, nutrition, and other techniques.
In addition to foundational Chinese medicine skills, doctoral students receive training in classical Chinese herbal medicine theory beginning in the second trimester. This theory is coupled with experience using that knowledge in modern clinical application. Students in the doctoral program will receive all of the fundamental Chinese medicine clinical knowledge and skills, along with a deep understanding of the classical theories of herbal medicine and clinical experience that focuses on integrated medical environments, complicated patient presentations, and more complex clinical reasoning. The goal of this program is to provide doctoral students with a deeper understanding of Chinese medicine and the ability to use herbal medicine effectively.
Northwestern graduates are trained to work in collaboration with other health professionals in integrated medical environments. The clinical training provided by NWHSU allows students the opportunity to put their skills to work within a variety of clinical environments that give our students exposure to a diverse range of patient populations. The diversity of patient populations and conditions, coupled with an emphasis on integrated medical care, gives students the confidence and skill to be effective practitioners.
Graduation Requirements
The Doctor of Acupuncture with a Chinese Herbal Medicine Specialization (DAcCHM) degree is granted to those who:
· Complete the required course of study, including 170.5 credits;
· Successfully pass all courses with a grade of C or better;
· Demonstrate competency in clinic and complete all required 900 clinical internship hours and meet all required clinical assessment competencies;
· Demonstrate appropriate professionalism and clinical acumen;
· Successfully complete the program Benchmark and Exit Exams.
Dual Enrollment
Doctoral students are dual enrolled in the Master of Acupuncture program and will be eligible to receive their master’s degree prior to completing their doctoral degree. This allows students to begin taking their Board exams for licensure prior to completing their doctoral coursework.
Course Requirements
Chinese Medicine Foundations
Chinese Herbal Medicine
Techniques and Methods
Biomedicine and Western Medicine
| AWM-5000 | MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY | 1 |
| AWM-5101 | ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY 1 | 4 |
| AWM-5102 | ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2 | 4 |
| AWM-5202 | EMERGENCY CARE | 1.5 |
| AWM-5300 | NEEDLING ANATOMY | 2.5 |
| AWM-5350 | FOCUSED ANATOMY | 2 |
| AWM-5405 | PATHOPHYSIOLOGY | 3 |
| AWM-5500 | WESTERN MEDICAL SCREENING | 2.5 |
| AWM-6100 | TOPICS IN INTEGUMENTARY HEALTH | 1 |
| AWM-6102 | TOPICS IN ORTHOPEDIC HEALTH | 1.5 |
| AWM-6107 | TOPICS IN BEHAVIORAL HEALTH | 1 |
| AWM-6111 | TOPICS in CARDIOVASCULAR, LYMPHATIC, AND RESPIRATORY HEALTH | 1.5 |
| AWM-6113 | TOPICS IN NEUROLOGICAL HEALTH | 2 |
| AWM-6114 | TOPICS IN URINARY AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH | 2 |
| AWM-6116 | TOPICS IN ENDOCRINE AND DIGESTIVE HEALTH | 1.5 |
| AWM-6200 | NUTRITION | 3 |
| AWM-6300 | PHARMACOLOGY FOR CHINESE MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS 1 | 2 |
| AWM-7300 | PHARMACOLOGY FOR CHINESE MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS 2 | 2 |
| PRS-5300 | FOUNDATIONS OF EVIDENCE INFORMED PRACTICE | 2 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 40 |
Clinical Education
Professional Development
Additional Program Requirements
CACM-5000 Benchmark Exam, CACM-6000 MAC Exit Exam, and CACM-8000 Herbal Exit Exam
| INCR-6001 | FOUNDATIONS OF INTEGRATIVE CARE | 1 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 1 |
Total Credit Hours: 170.5