What Do the Letters Mean? Understanding TCM Practitioner Credentials
Licensed Acupuncturist (LAC)
Acupuncture licensure is obtained through the Oregon Medical Board, the same licensing body that regulates Medical Doctors (MD), Osteopathic Doctors (DO) and Physician Assistants (PA) in Oregon.
To apply for a license in acupuncture in Oregon, you have to earn a master’s degree from an accredited Traditional Chinese medical (TCM) program, after first earning a bachelor’s degree. Then a passing score on four national board examinations in biomedicine, Traditional Chinese medical theory, acupuncture and herbal medicine is required.
To maintain this licensure you are subject to complete 60 continuing education classes every four years, ensuring that your skills and knowledge are up to date with the latest information.
Master of Science in Oriental Medicine (MSOM)
Other versions of this degree go by the title MAcOM (Master of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine) or MAc (Master of Acupuncture). Unlike many master’s programs which are two years in length, a TCM master’s degree is a total of three to four years, with one of those years including clinical internship.
To achieve a Doctorate in TCM, you must complete an additional 1-2 years of education. Meaning, if you see a Dr. before an acupuncturists name and DAOM (Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine), this means they went to school for 4-6 years depending on the length of their respective program!
You may also see the “O” replaced with a “C” in many of the above degrees, as many acupuncturists lead the fight for the official removal of the word “Oriental” from our profession.
What is in our scope of practice?
It’s more than acupuncture!
Traditional Chinese Medicine programs include three years of Western biomedical coursework, typically taught by a licensed medical doctor. To ensure the safety of patients, it’s crucial to know how the human body works from a TCM AND biomedical perspective. Though we cannot officially diagnose you with a western biomedical diagnosis, we are able to identify red flags and refer you to the appropriate professionals who can. In the state of Oregon, TCM practitioners are not considered primary care physicians (like your doctor) so we work closely with other healthcare professionals to provide the best resources available for your care.
Those who hold this master’s degree also have hundreds of hours of training in other TCM modalities that accompany acupuncture, such as moxibustion, cupping, gua sha, nutrition, bodywork and herbal medicine!
Many of the modalities within Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM, such as gua sha, cupping, and even acupuncture, have been culturally appropriated. Practitioners in other fields, including chiropractic, physical therapy, and esthetics, can often learn these techniques through short weekend workshops. These courses are frequently not taught by TCM professionals or individuals from East Asian backgrounds, and they often lack cultural and historical context. In some states, these practitioners are legally allowed to perform these modalities with little to no understanding of their roots or role within TCM. (Not in Oregon, though—here, it's illegal if you’re not a Licensed Acupuncturist).
If you’re receiving TCM modalities from someone who is not a Licensed Acupuncturist or from East Asian culture, be sure to ask them who they trained with, to ensure the integrity of this traditional medicine in the United States!
How is an LAc different from a Naturopathic Doctor (ND)?
You can think of a Naturopathic Doctor as having almost all of the same resources as Medical Doctors (MD). They can write you a pharmaceutical prescription, provide vaccinations, order lab testing, and even conduct minor surgery. Naturopathic Doctors are also trained in holistic healing methods that involve nutrition, herbs and hydrotherapy. Acupuncture and TCM is not apart of Naturopathic training (unless you’re in some states like Arizona!). They must go through additional training to be able to perform these modalities. If you see an ND offering acupuncture in Oregon, they would have to have that LAc credential. Alternatively, pharmaceutical prescriptions, labs and surgery are not apart of the scope of practice of an acupuncturist in Oregon.
A Note On Credentials
As a white woman practicing medicine from a culture that is not my own, I feel is it important to unpack the concept of credentials. Who and where do we get our healthcare information? Who do we trust?
Western culture is largely centered around capitalism, which is inherently a hierarchical system benefiting the dominant class. Typically those who have more credentials in the system, are deemed to have more authority and knowledge.
This authority, which is often the result of colonialist structures, is problematic. It belittles experience and thousands of years of acquired generational knowledge. This has long led to instant dismissal of acupuncture and herbal medicine within the western medical community, despite its widespread use across the globe and ongoing researching proving its efficacy (though this is changing!).
Credentialing systems have an important role in protecting the public from those looking to capitalize and spread misinformation. They also allow patients to take legal action when malpractice has occurred. You will not get this same legal protection from unlicensed individuals like wellness influencers.
That said, credentialing systems can also reinforce dominant perspectives and maintain existing power structures. So we must ask, who are the gatekeepers of knowledge? Finding a practitioner who actively acknowledges the role of traditional cultures in healthcare is critical in dismantling the colonialist structures that currently define medical systems.
With respect and gratitude,
Kecia Fox, MSOM, LAc