CME Board Certification Information

Marshall A. Sager, DO Chairman Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania	Hiroshi Nakazawa, MD Vice Chairman Baltimore, MD	Steven E. Braverman, MD Secretary / Treasurer Columbia, South Carolina	Kevin M. Barry, MD Budget Chairman Morristown, New Jersey
Steven E. Braverman, MD By-Laws Chairman Columbia, South Carolina	Michael W. Coomes, MD Core Curriculum Chairman Minneapolis, Minnesota	Robert Gross, MD Credentials & Standards Chairman Portland, Oregon	Bradley Lawrence, MD Examination Chairman Phoenix, Arizona

American Board of Medical Acupuncture Board Certification Information

The American Board of Medical Acupuncture (ABMA) was formally established on April 26, 2000. The ABMA has been created as an independent entity within the corporate structure of the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture. The ABMA has a separate, independent Board of Trustees with full responsibility for the direction and operation of the ABMA.

Mission of The American Board of Medical Acupuncture

The mission of The American Board of Medical Acupuncture is to promote safe, ethical, efficacious medical acupuncture to the public by maintaining high standards for the examination and certification of physician acupuncturists as medical specialists.

Purposes of The American Board of Medical Acupuncture

The essential purposes of the ABMA are:

To establish requirements for the qualifications of applicants who request a certificate of their training and experience in the field of medical acupuncture in its broadest sense.

To conduct examinations of approved candidates who seek certification by the Board.

To issue certificates to those physicians who meet the Board's requirements and pass the Board's examination.

To promote the advancement and betterment of the specialty of medical acupuncture.

To assist in improving the quality of post-graduate and continuing education in the specialized medical practice embraced by the field of medical acupuncture.
To do and engage in any and all lawful activities that may be incidental or reasonably related to any of the forgoing purposes.

Purpose of Certification

   The intent of the certification process is to provide assurance to the public that a certi- fied medical specialist has successfully completed an approved educational program and an evaluation, including an examination process, designed to assess the knowledge, experience and skills requisite to the provision of high quality patient care in that specialty. Diplomates of The American Board of Medical Acupuncture possess particular qualifications in this specialty.
    Standards of certification are distinct from those of State licensure. Possession of a Board certificate does not indicate total qualification for practice privileges, nor does it imply exclusion of other physicians not so certified. The Board does not purport in any way to interfere with or limit the professional activities of any licensed physician or any of his/ her regular or legitimate activities.
    The Board considers Certification to be based upon a process, which includes the education phase, experience phase and examination phase. It holds that the education and training phase are of the utmost importance in preparing the physician in the theory and techniques of medical acupuncture. The most appropriate training is an organized course of study, based on a systematic curriculum that emphasizes an integrated medical acupuncture curriculum from multiple paradigms and acupuncture traditions.

Definition of Medical Acupuncture

Medical acupuncture is a medical discipline having a central core of knowledge embracing the integration of acupuncture from various traditions into contemporary biomedical practice.
A Physician Acupuncturist is one who has acquired specialized knowledge and experience related to the integration of acupuncture within a biomedicine practice.

Education and Training in Medical Acupuncture

The World Health Organization and the World Federation of Acupuncture and Moxibustion Societies (WFAS) have promulgated acupuncture training and education standards for Western trained physicians. Those standards were first adopted in Beijing, China in 1987 and reaffirmed at the WFAS conference in Milan, Italy in 1996. These are considered to reflect the minimum level of training necessary for a Western trained physician to enter the practice of medical acupuncture. The WHO standards for physician acupuncture practitioners are as follows:

"4.2.1 For licensed graduates of modern Western medical colleges, who already have had education and training in anatomy, physiology, neurology, and all the other basic and clinical sciences involved in medical diagnosis and treatment, training in acupuncture can be accomplished following a different training pathway for them to master acupuncture as a special medical modality.
The theoretical part and objectives of this acupuncture training are parallel to those described in the complete training section, and the acupuncture core syllabus will be the same. (The entire WHO/WFAS document is available from the ABMA.) The whole course should be devoted to acquiring the knowledge and skill in acupuncture as well as the related basic theory for at least 200 hours of formal training. By the end of the course the participants should be able to integrate acupuncture into their medical practices. The proficiency of training and practice should be evaluated through an official examination by health authorities to ensure safety, competence, and efficacy."

    The American Board of Medical Acupuncture has established standards of training and education that exceed those established by WFAS as the entry-level standards. The ABMA will not accept into the process of Certification anyone who has not met the standards for training, education and experience as set forth by the ABMA.
    The purpose of postgraduate education in medical acupuncture is to ensure safety, competence, and efficacy in the practice of medical acupuncture, and to understand its proper integration into a biomedical practice. This education can best be achieved through an organized course of study, with a systematic curriculum as described above. Of that program, at least 100 hours are to be clinical in nature, 100 hours didactic.
    The educational requirements set forth by the Board are to be considered the minimum requirements of the Board and should not be interpreted to be restrictive in nature. The Board encourages continuing education and training in advanced level courses and in various Microsystems. The Board has adopted a policy requirement that all physicians who have achieved certification from the Board must document minimum levels of continuing education in acupuncture in order to achieve re-certification.

Acceptable Educational Programs

    The Board has the sole responsibility to evaluate the adequacy and appropriateness of the acupuncture training of those seeking certification from the Board. The Board meets this responsibility in several ways. The Board, from time to time, shall review the curriculum, faculty, teaching methods and other aspects of the programs for formal courses of training physicians in medical acupuncture offered in the United States and Canada. The Board, in its sole judgment, shall determine whether such programs are sufficient to meet its standards.
    Formal courses of study and training designed for physicians, as a minimum, should meet the guidelines and standards set forth by WHO/WFAS for such training. Programs must be a minimum of 200 hours of acupuncture specific training, post-medical school, of which 100 hours should be clinical.
    Physicians should contact the ABMA for a current listing of those programs that have been reviewed and found to be acceptable by the Board. Providers of such educational programs, which have not already been reviewed by the Board, may contact the Board to obtain information on how to arrange such review.
    Those who are contemplating obtaining training or who have already obtained training through means other than through an approved formal course as discussed above must submit an application to request that the Board review that training program to determine acceptability in lieu of an approved course of study. The application will require that detailed information be submitted regarding the content and curriculum of the course, the faculty, and the teaching methodologies employed. The Board may determine that an oral interview of the applicant is necessary, following the completion of an unapproved course, in order for the Board to determine the adequacy of training.
   The Board, in its sole judgment, shall determine the acceptability of any such training, on a case-by-case basis.

Physician Acupuncture Training Programs Approved by the American Board of Medical Acupuncture (As of 6/1/01)
Acupuncture Foundation of Canada Institute PO Box 93688 Shoppers World Postal Outlet 3003 Danforth Avenue Toronto, ON M4C 5R5 CANADA Phone: 416.752.3988 Fax: 416.752.4398 www.afcinstitute.com	Acupuncture Training Program New York Medical College Dept. of Community and Preventive Medicine Munger Pavilion Valhalla, NY 10595 Phone: 914.594.4253 Fax: 914.594.4576 www.nymc.edu/cpm (see Educational Programs)
Chinese Acupuncture for Physicians: Scientific Basis and Practice University of Southern California School of Medicine, CME Department 1420 San Pablo St. PMB B-205 Los Angeles, CA 90033 Phone: 323.442-1627 FAX: 323-442-3070	Medical Acupuncture for Physicians University of California, Los Angeles c/o Helms Medical Institute 2520 Milvia Street Berkeley, CA 94704 Phone: 510.649.8488 Fax: 510.649.8692
Medical Acupuncture Program for Physicians and Dentists Tristate Institute of Traditional Chinese Acupuncture 80 8th Avenue #400 New York, NY 10011 Phone: 212.242.2255 Fax: 212.242.2920

The Certificate

    Upon approval of the application and the candidates successful completion of the examination and completion of the Clinical Experience Requirements, the Board will grant a certificate to the effect that the candidate has met the requirements of the Board. The recipient of a certificate will be known as a Diplomate of the American Board of Medical Acupuncture. (DABMA) and may use such title or initials in his/her professional name.
    All certificates issued are time-limited, expiring on June 30th of the tenth year following the date issued. Re-certification procedures are described briefly in the following section and in depth in a separate information booklet available from the office of the Board.
    A certificate granted by the ABMA does not of itself confer or purport to confer any degree or legal qualifications, privileges or license to practice medical acupuncture. The ABMA does not limit or interfere with the professional activity of any duly licensed physician who is not certified by this Board. Privileges granted physicians in the practice of medical acupuncture in any hospital or clinic are the prerogatives of that hospital or clinic, not of this Board.
The names of Diplomates of the American Board of Medical Acupuncture appear in the Official Roster of Diplomates of the ABMA available from the Board office.

Revocation of Certification

A Certificate issued by the Board is issued with the understanding that it remains the property of the Board. Any certificate issued by the Board shall be subject to revocation at any time if the Board determines, in its sole judgment, that the diplomat holding the certificate was in some respect not properly qualified to receive or retain it.

Reasons for Revocation
The ABMA may at is sole discretion revoke a certificate for due cause, including, but not limited to, the following:

The Diplomate made any material misstatement or omission to the Board.

The Diplomate did not possess the necessary qualifications and requirements to receive the certificate at the time it was issued, whether or not the Board knew of such deficiency.

The Diplomate engaged in irregular behavior in connection with an examination of the ABMA, whether or not such practice had an effect on the performance of the candidate on that examination.

The Diplomate engaged in conduct that violated the moral or ethical standards of medical practice accepted by organized medicine in the locality where the Diplomate is practicing, resulting in revocation, suspension, qualification or other limitation of his or her license to practice medicine, or the expulsion, suspension, disqualification or other limitation from membership in a local, regional, national or other organization of his or her professional peers.
The Diplomate's license to practice medicine has been revoked, suspended, qualified or limited in any jurisdiction.

Re-Certification Procedures

Certificates issued by the ABMA expire on June 30th of the tenth year following the date of issuance. To maintain certification beyond the 10-year period, Diplomates must participate in the re-certification program. To participate in the re-certification program, a Diplomate must:

Hold a current, valid, unrestricted license to practice medicine or osteopathy in a United States licensing jurisdiction or licensure in Canada.

Pay an annual $50 fee.

Provide evidence of a total of 150 hours of such training over the ten year period.

Successfully complete a re-certification examination.

Enrollment in the re-certification program is automatic for all diplomats.
Failure to pay the annual fee or failure to report continuing education credits earned for three or more years are considered nonparticipation. Non-participants will be advised when their certificates expire. Delayed participation in the re-certification process may require completion of the requirements for initial certification in order to re-establish certification. Therefore, Diplomates are advised to monitor their participation carefully.

Additional Information

For additional information about the American Board of Medical Acupuncture, board certification requirements and procedures, or a Board Certification Application, please contact the ABMA Executive Office at the following location:

American Board of Medical Acupuncture
4929 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 428
Los Angeles, California 90010
323.937.5514 voice
323.937.0959 fax