New York College Of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Acupuncture Degree

The nine-trimester (three-year) 141-credit program in Acupuncture prepares students for licensure in and professional practice of acupuncture. The program contains three strands of courses--TCM, Acupuncture, and Western Biomedical Sciences--each of which consists of an ordered progression of material:

The TCM strand begins with the basic theories of Chinese physiology based on Yin and Yang and the five elements and progresses in a stepwise fashion through Pathogenesis, Diagnosis, Syndrome Analysis, Treatment Principles, and Clinical Acupuncture Practice. Each successive course builds on the information presented in prior courses until a grand synthesis is reached in the Clinical Acupuncture Practice series.

The Acupuncture strand deals more with the practical aspects of this branch of TCM. It begins with a three-course series on Meridians and Point Location, moves on to Needle Technique, and culminates in Acupuncture Case Analysis, which is the more practical counterpart to Clinical Acupuncture Practice.

The Western Biomedical Science strand consists of Medical Terminology, Muculo-skeletal & Palpatory Anatomy, Western Physiology, Clinical Pathophysiology, Western Diagnosis, Musculo-Skeletal Evaluation, Clinical Neurology, Pharmacology, Clinical Nutrition, and Western Case Analysis series. Before formally entering the program, students are required to complete nine credits of bioscience prerequisites, consisting of courses in Human Biology, Topical Anatomy, and Chemistry for Health Sciences. The purpose of this strand is to familiarize the student with Western medical practice to the extent that he or she can effectively communicate with patients and with Western health care providers, and can identify conditions that require referral to Western physicians.