NCCAOM CEU Requirements

To Recertify from the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine:

  • A minimum of 30 PDA points must be earned from continuing education.
  • By attending 2 large MAS CEU seminars and a MAS benefit seminar on ethics OR safety, an acupuncturist will automatically have enough CEUs to recertify.
  • Note that ethics is not required if you take a course on safety.

Of the 30 CEU hours required:

  • 15 must be in any of the 5 branches of Oriental medicine (Acupuncture, Chinese herbs, Chinese dietary therapy, Qigong (exercise), Asian bodywork therapy) and,
  • 4 must be in ethics OR safety. Courses in CPR, First Aid, or herbal safety could satisfy the safety requirement.
  • 1 point is granted for each hour of continuing education, including programs or courses that directly enhance a Diplomate’s knowledge and/or practice of Oriental medicine.

Documentation Required:
  • A certificate of completion or a notarized letter should document dates, locations of continuing education courses, number of hours, course title/content, instructor’s name, and name of approving organization or governmental agency, if any. Brochures and other related information should be kept to establish appropriateness of content.
  • RESEARCH: A maximum of 20 PDA points may be awarded for documented research in acupuncture or Oriental medicine. The Diplomate must be the primary researcher, and the research must be funded (not self-funded). Documentation Required: 1 PDA point is equal to 1 hour of research. A letter from the school, hospital or official agency funding the research is required. The letter must be accompanied by a copy of the published abstract showing your name as contributor.
  • PUBLICATIONS: A maximum of 30 PDA points may be awarded for publications. Diplomates may be awarded 30 PDA points for authoring a book that is over 300 pages in length, 15 PDA points for primary authorship in a peer-reviewed journal, or 10 points per article. Documentation Required: Dates, titles, publishers ISBN numbers, abstracts and executive summaries should be documented by submitting a photocopy of the title pages of books. Copies of articles must be submitted, as well as the table of contents page that shows the date published.
  • TEACHING/LECTURING: A maximum of 20 PDA points may be awarded for teaching and lecturing. Documentation Required: 1 PDA point is equal to 1 hour of teaching. Date(s), number of classroom hours, course title, and instructor’s name is required on letterhead stationery from the providing organization, or listed on a school transcript.
  • SUPERVISED CLINICAL EXPERIENCE or CLINICAL SUPERVISION: A maximum of 10 PDA points may be awarded for completing a supervised clinical experience or clinical supervision. The clinical experience may include observation, case discussion, and/or supervised practice. Documentation Required: 1 PDA point is equal to 1 hour of supervision. Supervision may include observation, case discussion, and/or supervised practice. A letter from the school documenting the internship or a letter from the senior practitioner who must be an active NCCAOM Diplomate for a minimum of 5 years prior to undertaking supervision is required.
  • TAI CHI/QIGONG: A maximum of 10 PDA points may be awarded for Tai Chi and Qigong courses. 1 PDA point is equal to 1 hour of instruction. Documentation Required: Date(s), number of hours, course title, and instructor’s name is required on either an end-of-course certificate or letterhead stationery from the providing organization.
  • LANGUAGE: A maximum of 10 PDA points may be awarded for the study of a second language relevant to a practitioner’s practice. Documentation Required: 1 PDA point is equal to 1 hour of instruction. Date(s), number of hours, course title, and instructor’s name is required on either an end-of-course certificate or on letterhead from the providing organization.