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Virginia Administrative Code
10/6/2024

Part II. Requirements for Licensure

18VAC85-110-50. Educational requirements: graduates of approved institutions or programs in the United States.

A. Requirements for acupuncture education obtained prior to July 1, 1990, shall be as provided in this subsection.

1. An applicant applying for licensure to practice as an acupuncturist on the basis of successful completion of education in a school or college of acupuncture accredited by the ACAHM or other accrediting agencies approved by the Board of Medicine, which confers a degree or certificate in acupuncture in the United States, shall submit evidence of successful completion of an acupuncture course of study in an accredited school or college for acupuncture, providing evidence of not less than 1,000 hours of schooling in not less than a continuous 18-month period.

2. The studies shall include not less than 700 didactic hours and not less than 250 clinical hours. Additional hours may be in either didactic or clinical hours based upon the school or college curriculum.

B. Requirements for acupuncture education obtained after July 1, 1990, shall be as provided in this subsection.

An applicant applying for licensure to practice as a licensed acupuncturist on the basis of successful completion of education in a school or college for acupuncture accredited by ACAHM or any other accrediting agency approved by the Board of Medicine, which confers a degree or certificate in acupuncture in the United States, shall submit evidence of having a minimum of three academic years in length equivalent to 90 semester credit hours or 135 quarter credit hours.

One academic year means full-time study completed in four quarters, two semesters, or three trimesters. A full-time continuous study program shall be a concentrated educational process in acupuncture that requires individual study with assigned materials in a classroom or clinical setting.

C. Requirements for acupuncture education obtained after July 1, 1999, shall be as provided in this subsection. An applicant applying for licensure to practice as a licensed acupuncturist on the basis of successful completion of education in a school or college for acupuncture accredited by ACAHM or any other accrediting agency approved by the Board of Medicine, which confers a degree or certificate in acupuncture in the United States, shall submit evidence of having a minimum of 1,725 hours of entry-level acupuncture education to include at least 1,000 didactic hours and 500 clinical hours. Clinical hours may include observation, as well as internship or treatment hours; the remaining 225 hours may be earned as either didactic or clinical. Correspondence programs or courses in acupuncture are excluded and may not be used to meet the requirements for acupuncture education.

D. Requirements for acupuncture education obtained after February 1, 2011, shall be as provided in this subsection. An applicant applying for licensure to practice as a licensed acupuncturist on the basis of successful completion of education in a school or college for acupuncture accredited by ACAHM or any other accrediting agency approved by the Board of Medicine, which confers a degree or certificate in acupuncture in the United States, shall submit evidence of having a minimum of 1,905 hours of entry-level acupuncture education to include at least 1,155 didactic hours and 660 clinical hours. Clinical hours may include observation, as well as internship or treatment hours; the remaining 90 hours may be earned as either didactic or clinical hours. Correspondence programs or courses in acupuncture are excluded and may not be used to meet the requirements for acupuncture education.

E. An applicant from an acupuncture program in a school or college that has achieved candidacy status for accreditation by ACAHM shall be eligible for licensure provided the program meets the applicable requirements of subsection A, B, C, or D of this section, with the exception of full ACAHM accreditation.

Statutory Authority

§ 54.1-2400 of the Code of Virginia.

Historical Notes

Derived from VR465-11-1 § 2.2, eff. February 23, 1994; amended, Virginia Register Volume 15, Issue 4, eff. December 9, 1998; Volume 19, Issue 10, eff. February 26, 2003; Volume 20, Issue 10, eff. April 26, 2004; Volume 29, Issue 25, eff. September 26, 2013; Volume 31, Issue 9, eff. February 13, 2015; Volume 38, Issue 12, eff. March 18, 2022.

18VAC85-110-60. Requirements of foreign graduates of nonaccredited educational programs in acupuncture.

A. An applicant who has completed an educational course of study in a school or college outside the United States or Canada that is not accredited by ACAHM or any other board-approved accrediting agency shall:

1. Submit a transcript from his educational course of study in acupuncture to a credential evaluation service approved by the board to determine equivalency in education and training to that required in 18VAC85-110-50.

2. Meet the examination requirements as prescribed in 18VAC85-110-80 and 18VAC85-110-90.

B. All documents submitted to the board which are not in English must be translated into English and certified by the embassy of the issuing government or by a translating service.

Statutory Authority

§ 54.1-2400 of the Code of Virginia.

Historical Notes

Derived from VR465-11-1 § 2.3, eff. February 23, 1994; amended, Virginia Register Volume 15, Issue 4, eff. December 9, 1998; Volume 19, Issue 10, eff. February 26, 2003; Volume 20, Issue 10, eff. April 26, 2004; Volume 29, Issue 25, eff. September 26, 2013; Volume 38, Issue 12, eff. March 18, 2022.

18VAC85-110-70. (Repealed.)

Historical Notes

Derived from VR465-11-1 § 2.4, eff. February 23, 1994; amended, Virginia Register Volume 15, Issue 4, eff. December 9, 1998; repealed, Virginia Register Volume 19, Issue 10, eff. February 26, 2003.

18VAC85-110-80. Examination requirements for licensure.

The examination requirements for licensure shall consist of:

1. Passing the NCCAOM comprehensive written examination, resulting in current, active certification by the NCCAOM at the time the application is filed with the board;

2. Passing the Point Location Examination; and

3. Completing the CNT course as administered by the CCAHM.

Statutory Authority

§ 54.1-2400 of the Code of Virginia.

Historical Notes

Derived from VR465-11-1 § 2.5, eff. February 23, 1994; amended, Virginia Register Volume 15, Issue 4, eff. December 9, 1998; Volume 19, Issue 10, eff. February 26, 2003; Volume 35, Issue 22, eff. August 8, 2019; Volume 38, Issue 12, eff. March 18, 2022.

18VAC85-110-90. Test of spoken English requirements.

A. An applicant applying for licensure to practice as an acupuncturist whose native language is not English and whose acupuncture education was also not in English shall submit evidence of having achieved a passing score as acceptable to the board on either the Test of Spoken English (TSE) or the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) administered by the Educational Testing Services.

B. An applicant applying for licensure to practice as an acupuncturist whose native language is not English and whose acupuncture education was also not in English shall be exempt from the requirement for TSE or TOEFL if the majority of his clients speak the language of the acupuncturist.

Statutory Authority

§§ 54.1-2400 and 54.1-2956.9 of the Code of Virginia.

Historical Notes

Derived from VR465-11-1 § 2.6, eff. February 23, 1994; amended, Virginia Register Volume 15, Issue 4, eff. December 9, 1998; Volume 16, Issue 21, eff. August 2, 2000.

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