How are practitioners trained in the U.S.?
Licensed Acupuncturists (L.Ac.) in the state of California receive 2000 – 3000 hours of training exclusively in this field over 3 to 4 years and undergo an extensive clinical internship with hands-on treatment of patients. Our acupuncturist, Curtis Baumgartner, is licensed, Board Certified by the National Certification Commission of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) and has been awarded a Diplomate in Acupuncture (Dipl. Ac.) Acupuncturists are required to receive continuing education to maintain Board Certification status. Most medical doctors, osteopaths and chiropractors who use acupuncture as an adjunct to their primary practice are Certified rather than Licensed. Certified acupuncturists need only about 200 hours of training in acupuncture and are not required to take the standard competency exam. Their preparation in Oriental Medical principles and diagnostic procedures is therefore minimal. As a result, they typically limit themselves to using acupuncture for the treatme
