OAR 847-070-0016: Qualifications

(1) An applicant for licensure as an acupuncturist must have: (a) Graduated from an acupuncture program that satisfies the standards of the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine (ACAHM), or its successor organization, or an equivalent accreditation body that are in effect at the time of the applicant's graduation. An acupuncture program may be established as having satisfied those standards by demonstration of one of the following: (A) Accreditation, or candidacy for accreditation by ACAHM at the time of graduation from the acupuncture program; or (B) Approval by a foreign government’s Ministry of Education, or Ministry of Health, or equivalent foreign government agency at the time of graduation from the acupuncture program. Each applicant must submit their documents to a foreign credential equivalency service, which is approved by the National Certification Board for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine (NCBAHM) for the purpose of establishing equivalency to the ACAHM accreditation standard. Acupuncture programs that wish to be considered equivalent to an ACAHM accredited program must also meet the curricular requirements of ACAHM in effect at the time of graduation. (b) Current certification in acupuncture by the NCBAHM. An applicant will be deemed certified by the NCBAHM in Acupuncture if the applicant has passed the NCBAHM Acupuncture Certification Examinations or has been certified through the NCBAHM Credentials Documentation Examination. (A) The applicant must pass three (3) NCBAHM Certification exam components: Biomedicine, Foundations of Oriental Medicine, and Acupuncture with Point Location. (B) The applicant has no more than four attempts to pass each component of the NCBAHM Certification Exam listed in subsection (A) of this section. If the applicant does not pass each component of the NCBAHM Certification Exam within four attempts, the applicant is not eligible for licensure. (C) An applicant who has passed each component of the NCBAHM Certification Exam but not within the four attempts required by this rule may request a waiver of this requirement if the applicant passed each component of the exam within five attempts and: (i) Has obtained a Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine degree; or (ii) Experienced extenuating circumstances that do not indicate an inability to safely practice acupuncture as determined by the Board. (2) An applicant who does not meet the criteria in OAR 847-070-0016(1) must have the following qualifications: (a) Five years of licensed clinical acupuncture practice in the United States. This practice must include a minimum of 500 acupuncture patient visits per year. Documentation must include: (A) Two affidavits from office partners, clinic supervisors, accountants, or others approved by the Board, who have personal knowledge of the years of practice and number of patient visits per year; and (B) Notarized copies of samples of appointment books, patient charts and financial records, or other documentation as required by the Board; and (b) Practice as a licensed acupuncturist in the U.S. during five of the last seven years prior to application for Oregon licensure. Licensed practice includes clinical practice, clinical supervision, teaching, research, and other work as approved by the Board within the field of acupuncture and Traditional Eastern medicine. Documentation of this practice will be required and is subject to Board approval; and (c) Successful completion of the ACAHM western medicine requirements in effect at the time of graduation from the acupuncture program, unless the applicant graduated from a non-accredited acupuncture program prior to 1989; and (d) Current certification in acupuncture by the NCBAHM. An applicant will be deemed certified in Acupuncture by the NCBAHM if the applicant has passed the NCBAHM Acupuncture Certification Examinations or has been certified through the NCBAHM Credentials Documentation Examination. (A) The applicant must pass three (3) NCBAHM Certification exam components: Biomedicine, Foundations of Oriental Medicine, and Acupuncture with Point Location. (B) The applicant has no more than four attempts to pass each component of the NCBAHM Certification Exam listed in subsection (A) of this section. If the applicant does not pass each component of the NCBAHM Certification Exam within four attempts, the applicant is not eligible for licensure. (C) An applicant who has passed each component of the NCBAHM Certification Exam but not within the four attempts required by this rule may request a waiver of this requirement if the applicant passed each component of the exam within five attempts and: (i) Has obtained a Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine degree; or (ii) Experienced extenuating circumstances that do not indicate an inability to safely practice acupuncture as determined by the Board. (3) An individual whose acupuncture training and diploma were obtained in a foreign country and who cannot document the requirements of subsections (1) or (2) of this rule because the required documentation is now unobtainable, may be considered eligible for licensure if it is established to the satisfaction of the Board that the applicant has equivalent skills and training and can document one year of training or supervised practice under a licensed acupuncturist in the United States. (4) In addition to meeting the requirements in (1), (2) or (3) of this rule, all applicants for licensure must have the following qualifications: (a) Licensure in good standing from the state or states of all prior and current health related licensure; and (b) Have good moral character as those traits would relate to the applicant's ability properly engage in the practice of acupuncture; and (c) Have the ability to communicate in the English language well enough to be understood by patients and physicians. This requirement is met if the applicant passes the NCBAHM written acupuncture examination in English, or if in a foreign language, must also have passed an English language proficiency examination: (A) A Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score of 500 or more for the written TOEFL exam, 173 or more for the computer based TOEFL exam, or 65 or more for the internet based TOFEL exam; (B) A Test of Spoken English (TSE) score of 200 or more prior to July 1995, and a score of 50 or more after July 1995; or (C) A Occupational English Test score of at least 350 for speaking and at least 300 for reading, writing, and listening on any OET health-related profession. (d) An applicant who is certified through the NCBAHM Credentials Documentation Examination must also have passed an English proficiency examination described in subsection (c).