What do the initials after the acupuncturist’s name stand for and what type of training is involved?
L.Ac. is what is most commonly seen after an acupuncturist’s name, as it is the abbreviation for Licensed Acupuncturist. Acupuncturists are licensed by the state, as well as nationally, by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM). A nationally board certified acupuncturist completes four years of academic training at an accredited Oriental Medicine graduate program. Included in this extensive training is education in acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, Oriental medical theory, and Eastern and Western dietary therapy. Additionally, our program provided a complete integrative education that included many Western medical classes such as anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, biochemistry, and pathophysiology. More than 1,000 hours of clinical training is required in addition to the four years of academic training. The clinical hours are earned over a 3 year period in the school clinic. Student interns are afforded the opportunity to treat a wid
