Acupuncturist Schools and Careers
Get Acupuncture Career, School and Salary Information
Find Acupuncture Schools | Acupuncture Career and School Guide
| | Today is an excellent time to become an acupuncturist since society has become more focused on maintaining wellness and preventing disease through alternative medicine than ever before. In fact, many hospitals now offer acupuncture as part of a patient's treatment plan, and wellness centers are plentiful across the U.S.—even in many suburbs. But since acupuncture is more than a career—it is also a philosophy and way of life—you need to decide whether it's a good career fit for you. |
Acupuncture Career Overview
Acupuncture can be an incredibly flexible and rewarding career. Your practice can be the foundation for a holistic and balanced lifestyle that nurtures your mind, body and soul while it pays the bills. In addition, the collaborative relationships you develop with your patients, and the positive changes you witness in their lives, can be deeply satisfying.
Most acupuncturists run their own businesses as independent practitioners in private practice. You may also form a collaborative clinic with other CAM practitioners, such as naturopaths and licensed massage therapists. An increasing number of hospitals are hiring acupuncturists to complement their regular Western medical services that they offer. Other acupuncture career paths include researching, writing, translating and teaching.
Desired Acupuncturist Traits
Successful acupuncturists usually possess the following traits:
- Patience and compassion
- Excellent listening skills
- Self-motivation and hardworking tendencies
- Excited about learning a complex and ancient tradition of healing
A Typical Day for An Acupuncturist
An acupuncture session with a client runs between a half hour to an hour, and a first visit is often longer because the practitioner needs to first diagnose the patient, and then discuss treatment options. At the end of the session, the acupuncturist may prescribe herbal therapies for the patient to use at home. Typically, the majority of the practitioner's time during a session is spent on the actual performance of acupuncture and related therapies, such as herb and skin treatments. Like most medical practitioners, part of the acupuncturists' time is spent on the performance of office duties such as filling out charts and maintaining patients' files. Some acupuncturists work alone and perform all aspects of the office duties, others work as part of a larger team with appropriate support staff to help them.
Acupuncture Education
Although programs vary, most acupuncture schools will teach you about the many aspects of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM):
- Qi (pronounced "Chi") and energy meridian theory
- Pulse and tongue diagnosis
- Treatment principles
- Acupuncture point location
- Needling techniques
- Acupressure techniques
- Cupping (using evacuated cups to draw blood to the surface of the skin)
- Moxibustion (burning moxa on the surface of the skin)
- Clinical skills and patient communication
In some acupuncture schools, you may be encouraged to begin to learn how to read and translate Chinese, if you don't already. You may also learn Tui-Na massage, Qi Gong, Chinese herbal medicine and other TCM healing modalities. In addition to coursework, you will complete clinical observation hours and hands-on clinical practice hours.
Some acupuncture colleges incorporate anatomy, physiology and other medical science fundamentals in their curricula. Other acupuncture schools require that you take these types of classes as prerequisites before beginning your acupuncture education. Most acupuncture schools will only accept students who already have a bachelor's or associate's degree.
Get some helpful tips on finding the right acupuncture college for you.
Average Acupuncture School Tuition
The cost of becoming an acupuncturist varies widely depending on the program you choose. It may be as little as $6,000 per year of study up to $50,000 or more for a full 3-year or 4-year program.
Acupuncturist Salaries
Because most acupuncturists are self-employed, incomes vary widely. According to PayScale.com, a new acupuncturist starting out may earn between $24,000 and $40,000 per year. But seasoned acupuncturists can make upwards of $100,000, depending on the practice and clientele. Many acupuncture practitioners who work in hospitals make over $65,000 per year, while practitioners who work for non-profit organizations make under $35,000 per year. As you gain experience and build your practice, you can double or even triple your income.
Acupuncture Career Outlook
If you work for yourself or as part of a group practice, your success as an acupuncturist will depend largely on your business savvy and ability to market yourself effectively. It takes hard work and commitment to build a clientele. You'll need to invest continually in your ongoing acupuncture education in order to enhance and maintain your reputation as an effective acupuncturist.
The opportunity is there for those who are willing to make the commitment in time and effort. According to a 2008 study by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, over 38 percent of adults and 12 percent of children use some form of CAM. Acupuncture is one of the most popular of all CAM modalities, and it is one of the most likely to be covered by health insurance.
Return to the Acupuncture Career and School Guide home page.
Sources:
Bastyr University, 2009
Seattle Institute of Oriental Medicine, 2009
PayScale.com, 2009
ExploreHealthCareers.org, 2008
Search our directory and find more: Massage Therapy Schools, Acupuncture, Chiropractic, and more.