Instructors, Training Requirements, and Continuing Education

All educational programs shall be approved by the board. Using the requirements of 16.2.7.8 NMAC and 16.2.7.9 NMAC (Sections 8 and 9 of Part 7 of the rules), the board will evaluate whether or not an educational program shall be approved. If a visit is necessary to evaluate the educational program, the cost of the visit, including any administrative costs, shall be paid in advance by the educational program.

A. The foundation educational program requirement shall be the 4-academic-year masters of oriental medicine program that meets the national certification commission for acupuncture and oriental medicine (NCCAOM) accreditation/equivalent education policy as defined here. Graduation/education must be obtained from a formal education program that has met the standards of the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and oriental Medicine (ACAOM) or an equivalent educational body. A program may be established as having satisfied this requirement by demonstration of one of the following:

1. accreditation or candidacy for accreditation by ACAOM; or
2. approval by a foreign government’s ministry of education, ministry of health, or equivalent foreign government agency; each candidate must submit their documents for approval by a foreign credential equivalency service approved by the NCCAOM for that purpose; programs attempting to meet the eligibility requirement under this method must also meet the curricular requirements of ACAOM in effect at the time of application; or
3.  approval by a foreign private accreditation agency that has an accreditation process and standards substantially equivalent to that of ACAOM, and that is recognized for that purpose by the appropriate government entity in that foreign country; each candidate must submit their documents for approval by a foreign credential equivalency service approved by the NCCAOM for that purpose; programs attempting to meet the eligibility requirement under this method must also meet the curricular requirements of ACAOM in effect at the time of application.

B. The educational program shall provide a program that shall be at least 4 academic years and shall include in-class education that comprises a minimum of 2,400 clock hours of classes including a minimum of 1,100 hours of didactic education in acupuncture and oriental medicine and a minimum of 900 hours of supervised clinical practice, instruction and observation in acupuncture and oriental medicine. The curriculum shall provide the knowledge and skills required to maintain appropriate standards of acupuncture and oriental medical care.

C. The educational program shall include a didactic curriculum that educates and graduates physicians who are competent to practice acupuncture and oriental medicine and who are able to diagnose, prescribe, and treat accurately and that specifically includes, in addition to the requirements of the act, oriental principles of life therapy, including the prescription of herbal medicine, diet and nutrition, manual therapy/physical medicine and counseling, not to exceed 900 hours of the required 2,400 hours specified in Subsection B of 16.2.7.8 NMAC (Subsection 8.B. of Part 7 of the rules) and that includes a minimum of 450 hours of education in herbal medicine.

D. The educational program shall include a clinical curriculum that includes clinical instruction and direct patient contact. This clinical part of the educational program shall include at least 900 hours of supervised clinical practice, instruction, and observation in the following areas:

1. the observation of and assistance in the application of principles and techniques of oriental medicine including diagnosis, acupuncture, moxibustion, manual therapy/physical medicine, diet and nutrition, counseling, and the prescription of herbal medicine; and
2. a minimum of 400 hours of actual treatment in which the student is required to perform complete treatment as the primary student practitioner.

E. The educational program shall include a curriculum that educates and graduates physicians who are competent to demonstrate a clinically relevant, complementary, and integrative knowledge of biomedicine and biomedical diagnosis sufficient to treat and refer patients when appropriate.

F. The educational program may honor credit from other educational programs.

G. The names and educational qualifications of all teaching supervisors, resident teachers, and visiting teachers of acupuncture and oriental medicine shall be submitted to the board and shall meet the following:

1. all teachers of acupuncture and oriental medicine in New Mexico shall have a license or temporary license to practice acupuncture and oriental medicine in New Mexico issued by the board; any educational program in violation of this provision shall be subject to suspension or revocation of the educational program approval or subject to disciplinary proceedings, including fines as defined in 16.2.12 NMAC (Part 12 of the rules)
2. all teachers of acupuncture and oriental medicine at educational programs outside New Mexico shall be licensed, certified, registered, or legally recognized to practice acupuncture and oriental medicine in the state or country in which they practice and teach; any educational program in violation of this provision shall be subject to suspension or revocation of the educational program approval or subject to disciplinary proceedings, including fines as defined in 16.2.12 NMAC (Part 12 of the rules)
3. exceptions may be made at the board’s discretion and for good cause

H. Educational programs may employ or contract with tutors to teach components of the educational program. Educational programs may honor credit from tutors. A tutor is defined in the act as “a doctor of oriental medicine with at least 10 years of clinical experience who is a teacher of acupuncture and oriental medicine.”

1.               The educational program may be subject to inspection by the board.

[16.2.7.8 NMAC – Rp, 16.2.7.8 NMAC, 10-22-03; A, 02-15-05]

Applicants seeking approval for a continuing education program that does not have annual approval status from the board shall submit a single-instance application with documentation required pursuant to 16.2.7.11 NMAC.

Educational programs seeking board approval shall submit an application with all documentation required pursuant to 16.2.7.10 NMAC for approval by the board annually.

Pursuant to 16.2.9.8 NMAC, requirements for renewal include either NCCAOM recertification, or completion of 15 hours annually of NCCAAOM-approved continuing education courses, or courses approved by other acupuncture or oriental medicine licensing authorities.

Proof of current Basic Life Support, and CPR, completed through an American Heart Association or American Red Cross-approved course. Shall include hands-on supervised practice of clinical skills; the didactic portion may be completed online.

Pursuant to 16.2.9 NMAC, in addition to the continuing education requirements listed in 16.2.9.8, DOMs with certified expanded practice are subject to the following continuing education requirements for recertification:

• 3 hours every 3 years for recertification in basic injection therapy
• 7 hours every 3 years for recertification in injection therapy
• 7 hours every 3 years for recertification in intravenous therapies
• 7 hours every 3 years for recertification in bioidentical hormone therapy
• except that a doctor of oriental medicine recertifying in injection therapy or intravenous therapy need not complete an additional three hours in basic injection therapy
• doctors of oriental medicine previously certified as Rx1 shall need 7 hours every 3 years for recertification in prolotherapy as specified in Section 16 of 16.2.19 NMAC

License holders who are newly certified for expanded practice shall complete continuing education hours on a prorated basis during the first years(s) of certification, and then shall comply with recertification requirements every 3 years thereafter.