NUHS receives ACAOM accreditation for acupuncture, Oriental medicine programs

April 16, 2011 — National University of Health Sciences shared the news it received in an official notice recently: “The Master of Science in Acupuncture and the Master of Science in Oriental Medicine programs of the National University of Health Sciences are accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM), which is the recognized accrediting agency for the approval of programs preparing acupuncture and Oriental medicine practitioners.”

The final accreditation is the successful culmination of a five-year candidacy process designed to ensure that new acupuncture and oriental medicine programs meet rigorous academic and professional standards.

NUHS broadened its educational mission over a decade ago, and has expanded from a single purpose chiropractic educational institution to a university dedicated to integrative medicine. Since 1999, it has added programs in massage therapy, biomedical science, naturopathic medicine, diagnostic imaging and more.

National opened its doors to students seeking advanced degrees in oriental medicine and acupuncture in the fall of 2006. It had already received full accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools to offer both the MSAc and MSOM degrees, and immediately began the five-year accreditation process with the ACAOM.

The ACAOM candidacy and accreditation process allows National students to sit for required board and licensure examinations required for professional practice, in addition to ensuring students a quality program.

“This is another step in assuring the public that the education provided the students in the oriental medicine and acupuncture programs at National University of Health Sciences — College of Professional Studies is of the highest caliber and meets the Standards required by the Accrediting Commission on Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM),” says National University’s President, Dr. James F. Winterstein. “We are very pleased with this progress.”

The acupuncture and oriental degree programs at NUHS have higher entry standards than similar schools in Illinois, requiring completion of a bachelor’s degree prior to admission. Additionally, the programs combine a full curriculum of traditional acupuncture and oriental medicine with courses designed to help students understand western health science principles.

This, plus a full year of clinical internship in the university’s integrative medical clinic, prepares students for work in private practice or for new careers opening in mainstream health care venues such as hospital wellness centers and integrative medical clinics.

“The recent full accreditation from the ACAOM is significant recognition of the quality of the academic and clinical content of our programs, and our ability to graduate competent practitioners of acupuncture and oriental medicine,” says Dr. Frank Yurasek, assistant dean for acupuncture and Oriental medicine at National. 

Source: National University of Health Sciences, www.nuhs.edu