TITLE 32
LEGISLATIVE RULE
BOARD OF ACUPUNCTURE

32-3 | 32-4 | 32-5 | 32-6 | 32-7 | 32-9 | 32-10 | 32-11 | 32-12 | 32-13 | 32-14 | 32-15 | 32-16

SERIES 11 - EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

• §32-11-1. General.
  • 1.1. Scope. -- This establishes the educational requirements for licensed acupuncture applicants who have graduated from a school or college of acupuncture or oriental medicine.
  • 1.2. Authority. -- W. Va. Code §30-36-7.
  • 1.3. Filing date. -- May 21, 1999.
  • 1.4. Effective date. -- May 21, 1999.
• §32-11-2. Application.
  • This legislative rule applies to applicants for license who have graduated from a school or college of acupuncture or oriental medicine.
• §32-11-3. Definitions.
  • 3.1. Accredited School or College. -- An institution which has received accreditation or is a candidate for accreditation from the national accreditation commission for schools and colleges of acupuncture and oriental medicine (NACSSAOM).
  • 3.2. NACSSAOM. -- The national accreditation commission for schools and colleges of acupuncture and oriental medicine.
• §32-11-4. General Criteria for Approval of Acupuncture Training Programs.
  • 4.1. The total number of hours of oriental medical theoretical training shall consist of a minimum of eighteen hundred (1,800) hours and the total number of hours of clinical instruction shall consist of a minimum of 300 hours. and the course work shall extend over a minimum period of four (4) academic years or, eight (8) semesters or, twelve (12) quarters or, nine (9) trimesters, or thirty-six (36) months.
  • 4.2. Candidates for admission shall have successfully completed an approved high school course of study or have passed a standard equivalency test.
  • 4.3. The course of training shall be located in a W. Va. State university or college, or an institution approved by the Board, or in the case of training programs located outside West Virginia, in an institution which is approved by the appropriate governmental accrediting authority or an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
  • 4.4. The training program shall develop an evaluation mechanism to determine the effectiveness of its theoretical and clinical program.
  • 4.5. Course work shall carry academic credit.
  • 4.6. The director of the clinical portion of the training program shall be a licensed acupuncturist or other licensed practitioner authorized to practice acupuncture.
  • 4.7. All instructors shall be competent to teach their designated courses by virtue of their education, training and experience.
  • 4.10. Each approved course of training shall receive accreditation or approval for schools and colleges by an agency approved by the U. S. Department of Education or the approval of the course of training by the Board shall automatically lapse.
• §32-11-5. Specific Course Requirements for Approval of Acupuncture Training.
  • 5.1. In order to be approved by the Board, pursuant to Code §30-36-10 © 1 B an acupuncture course of training shall meet the following course curriculum criteria:
    • 5.1.1. General biology, 8 semester hours;
    • 5.1.2. Chemistry -- including organic and biochemistry, 8 semester hours;
    • 5.1.3. General physics -- including a general survey of biophysics, 8 semester hours;
    • 5.1.4. General psychology -- including counseling skills, 8 semester hours;
    • 5.1.5. Anatomy -- a survey of microscopic, gross anatomy and neuroanatomy, 4 semester hours;
    • 5.1.6. Physiology -- a survey of basic physiology, including neurophysiology, endocrinology, and neurochemistry, 4 semester hours;
    • 5.1.7. Pathology -- a survey of the nature of disease and illness, including microbiology, immunology, psychopathology, and epidemiology, 4 semester hours;
    • 5.1.8. Nutrition and vitamins, homeopathy and herbology, 4 semester hours;
    • 5.1.9. History of medicine -- a survey of medical history, including transcultural healing practices, 3 semester hours;
    • 5.1.10. Medical terminology -- fundamentals of English language medical terminology, 3 semester hours;
    • 5.1.11. Clinical sciences -- a review of internal medicine. pharmacology, neurology, surgery, obstetrics/gynecology, urology, radiology, nutrition and public health, 8 semester hours;
    • 5.1.12. Clinical medicine-a survey of the clinical practice of medicine, osteopathy, dentistry, psychology, nursing, chiropractic, podiatry, and homeopathy to familiarize practitioners with the practices of other health care practitioners, 8 semester hours;
    • 5.1.13. Western pharmacology, 8 semester hours;
    • 5.1.14. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), 8 contact hours;
    • 5.1.15. Traditional Oriental medicine-a survey of the theory and practice of traditional diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, 8 semester hours;
    • 5.1.16. Acupuncture anatomy and physiology -- fundamentals of acupuncture. including the meridian system, special and extra loci, and auriculotherapy, 8 semester hours;
    • 5.1.17. Acupuncture techniques -- instruction in the use of needling techniques, moxibustion, and electroacupuncture, including precautions (e.g., sterilization of needles), contraindication and complications, 8 semester hours;
    • 5.1.18. Acupressure techniques -- instruction in the use of manual therapy pressure, 8 semester hours;
    • 5.1.19. Breathing techniques -- introductory course in Chi Kung, 4 semester hours
    • 5.1.20. Traditional Oriental exercise -- introductory course in Tai Chi Chuan, 4 semester hours;
    • 5.1.21. Traditional Oriental herbology including botany -- a portion of the hours shall be given in a clinical setting, 12 semester hours, plus 100 clinical hours
    • 5.1.22. Practice management -- instruction in the legal and ethical aspects of maintaining a professional practice, including record keeping, professional liability, patient accounts. and referral procedures, 3 semester hours; and
    • 5.1.23. Ethics relating to the practice of acupuncture, 2 semester hours.
  • 5.2. The curriculum shall include adequate clinical instruction, 75% of which shall be in a clinic which is operated by the course of training, which includes direct patient contact where appropriate in the following:
    • 5.2.1. Practice Observation -- supervised observation of the clinical practice of acupuncture with case presentations and discussions, 50 clinical hours;
    • 5.2.2. Diagnosis and evaluation -- the application of Eastern and Western diagnostic procedures in evaluating patients, 50 clinical hours; and
    • 5.2.3. Supervised practice -- the clinical treatment of a patient with acupuncture, 50 clinical hours
  • 5.3. During the initial 100 hours of diagnosis evaluation and clinical practice the supervisor shall be physically present at all times during the diagnosis and treatment of the patient. Thereafter, for a second period of 100 hours the supervisor shall be physically present at the needling of the patient.
  • 5.4. The supervisor shall otherwise be in close proximity to the location at which the patient is being treated during the clinical instruction. The student shall also consult with the supervisor before and after each treatment.
• §32-11-6. Course of Training Evaluation.
  • 6.1. Each training program in this State shall develop a mechanism to evaluate and award transfer credit to students for prior course work and experience which is equivalent to that course work and clinical instruction required in section 32-11-5 of this rule. The course of training's policies and procedures for evaluating and awarding transfer credit shall be set forth in writing and submitted to the Board. The policies and procedures shall include all of the following:
  • 6.2. Credit shall only be awarded for actual course work or directly relevant experience received by the student. As used in this rule, 'experience' means academically relevant learning which involved the student directly in the area of the curriculum required in this section and includes integrated field and clinical internships, apprenticeships, tutorial programs and cooperative educational programs;
  • 6.3. Where the course work and clinical instruction were completed at an acupuncture school not approved by the Board, the evaluation shall include an examination administered by the school in the subject area in which transfer credit may be awarded;
  • 6.4. The outcome of the prior education and experience shall be equivalent to that of an average student who has completed the same subject in the training program and shall meet the curriculum standards and graduation requirements of the training program;
  • 6.5. Transfer credit may be awarded for course work and clinical instruction completed successfully at another acupuncture school or college which is approved by the Board;
  • 6.6. Up to l00% transfer credit may be awarded for courses completed successfully in biology, chemistry, physics, psychology, anatomy, physiology, pathology, nutrition and vitamins, history of medicine, medical terminology, clinical science, clinical medicine, Western pharmacology, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, practice management, and ethics at a school which is approved under or by an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education;
  • 6.7. Credit for clinical course work and instruction in traditional oriental medicine, acupuncture anatomy and physiology, acupuncture techniques, acupressure. breathing techniques, traditional oriental exercise. or traditional oriental herbology completed successfully at a school which is not approved by the Board may be awarded by a school approved by the Board, provided that at least 50% of the course hours in these subject areas are completed successfully at a school approved by the Board;
  • 6.8. The entire record of the training program's evaluation and award of the student's transfer credit shall be included in the student's academic file and shall be made an official part of the student's transcript which shall be filed with the Board upon request of the student; and
  • 6.9. All students shall receive upon matriculation a copy of the training program's policies and procedures for evaluating and awarding transfer credit.
• §32-11-7. Documentation Required for Approval.
  • Educational institutions or programs seeking approval of an acupuncture training program shall provide the Board with any documents and other evidence as may be necessary for the Board to determine the actual nature and extent of the training offered, including but not limited to. catalogues, course description, curricula plans, and study bulletins.
• §32-11-8. Suspension or Revocation of Approval.
  • The Board may deny, place on probation. suspend or revoke the approval granted to any acupuncture training program for any failure to comply with W. Va. Code §30-36-1 et seq. or this rule.
• §32-11-9. School Monitoring: Records: Reporting.
  • 9.1. Every approved acupuncture school in W. Va. shall to submit the Board within sixty (60) days after the close of the school's fiscal year a current course catalog with a letter outlining the following:
    • 9.1.1. Courses added or deleted or significantly changed from the previous year's curriculum;
    • 9.1.2. Changes in faculty, administration, or the governing body;
    • 9.1.3. Major changes in the school facility; and
    • 9.1.4. A statement regarding the school's financial condition, which enables the committee to evaluate whether the school has sufficient resources to ensure the capability of the program for enrolled students.
  • 9.2. If the Board determines it is necessary representatives of the Board shall make an on-site visit to the school to review and evaluate the status of the school. The school shall reimburse the Board for direct costs incurred in conducting the review and evaluation.
  • 9.3. All student records shall be maintained in English.
  • 9.4. Each approved acupuncture school shall report to the Board within 30 days any substantial changes to the facility or clinic, and curriculum required in this rule.