Chinese Herbology Certificate Program
The Chinese Herbology Certificate Program is designed for licensed acupuncturists and graduates of acupuncture degree programs who wish to add herbal expertise as a component of their professional practices without having to complete an entire Oriental Medicine degree program.
The New York State Board of Regents has recently authorized NYCTCM to offer a Chinese Herbology Certificate Program, which will supplement its Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine degree programs. The Certificate Program is designed for licensed acupuncturists and graduates of acupuncture degree programs who wish to add herbal expertise as a component of their professional practices without having to complete an entire Oriental Medicine degree program.
Details of the program are given in the table. There are a total of 34 credits (510 hours) of didactic courses and 12 credits (360 hours) of clinical training in the program, offered over a span of five trimesters (one year and eight months). The didactic courses introduce the student to over 400 individual herbs and 250 major formulas, including patent formulas, and move on to herbal treatment strategy, application of the herbal formulas for treatment of commonly seen clinical syndromes, consideration and analysis of specific cases, and toxicity / safe use of herbs.
NYCTCM’s Chinese Herbology Certificate Program meets ACAOM guidelines for Herb Certificate Training Programs and qualifies students to sit for the NCCAOM Chinese Herbology examination. Passing the Chinese Herbology examination will qualify licensed acupuncturists to apply for Diplomate status in Chinese Herbology and (in most cases) Oriental Medicine. Although the practice of herbal medicine is currently not a licensed specialty in New York State, there are legislative initiatives going forward in this area; achievement of certification now in Chinese herbology would be a good way to anticipate future licensing requirements.
Applications are currently being accepted for students who wish to matriculate into the program. Tuition for the entire program is $15,880 ($280 per credit; $530 per credit for internship training). Transfer credit will be given for equivalent prior coursework.
| (for licensed acupuncturists or graduates of an acupuncture program) | |
|---|---|
| Trimester One | |
| Individual Herbs 1 | 3 credits |
| Individual Herbs 2 | 3 credits |
| Trimester Two | |
| Individual Herbs 3 | 3 credits |
| Herbal Formulas I | 3 credits |
| Herbal Clinic Observation (including herbal dispensary training) | 2 credits (60 hours) |
| Trimester Three | |
| Herbal Formulas 2 | 3 credits |
| Herbal Formulas 3 | 3 credits |
| Commercial Herbal Formulas | 1 credit |
| Herbal Clinic Junior Internship | 3 credits (90 hours) |
| Trimester Four | |
| OM Therapeutic Strategies | 2 credits |
| Clinical Herbal Practice 1 | 4 credits |
| OM Case Analysis 1 | 2 credits |
| Herbal Clinic Junior Internship | 3 credits (90 hours) |
| Trimester Five | |
| Clinical Herbal Practice 2 | 4 credits |
| OM Case Analysis 2 | 2 credits |
| Toxicity / Safe Use of Herbs | 1 credit |
| Herbal Clinic Senior Internship | 4 credits (120 hours) |
The program has 510 hours of didactic instruction in herbs and 360 hours of herbal clinical training, which meets the accreditation guidelines from ACAOM for an Herb Certificate Training Program.
The program has 3 benchmark exams:- Entrance Exam for becoming a junior intern, which focuses on individual herbs
- Entrance Exam for becoming a senior intern, which focuses on herbal formulas
- Program Exit Exam at the end of all courses
Students must submit a minimum of 100 cases by the end of internship training.
revised March 28, 2011