As a nationally accredited College of Medicine …
Our program is tiered. We’re proud of it.
It increases your access to the medicine.
2. It increases the value of your education.
3. It increases you patients’ access to you.
We believe it’s incredible because we work diligently at making it so, and that’s what we’ve been told.
Our tiered (or stepped) approach increases education access through a robust program at our base-level, creates a pathway for direct employment by ensuring thorough bodywork training as Chinese medicine training does in China, and allows you to set a pace for your studies. You can piecemeal your studies or engage them as a complete, fully combined program from the offset. The choice is yours.
72 credits entry requirement
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Our Asian Bodywork Therapy program has been recognized as a Vocational Program by the State of Arizona for nearly two decades. Currently it is in consideration for the first Nationally accredited Asian Medical Bodywork program by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine (ACAHM), as we continue to lead the way.
The Asian Medical Bodywork (AMB) medicine program at ASAOM forms the base of all our full program curriculums. This is a lineage program and arguably one of the best bodywork educations in the nation. No one does it like us and you cannot study with us without completing it. So if you have applied and been accepted to either our MAc or MAcChM programs, you are completing the AMB Masters Certificate by deafult, which increases the value of your degree. The Masters Certification in AMB is a flagship program, the first to be recognized for national accreditation consideration by our accreditation body, and something we are decidedly proud of.
90 credits entry requirement
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As a Masters in Acupuncture student (MAc), you will study the foundations of Chinese medicine: diagnostics, physiology, pathology, clinician technique, elements, balance, and energy. The MAc. degree program will include the AMB certification program. Through the AMB program you will learn the therapies of tuina (baguan: cupping and guasha) to expel stagnant or blocked qi (energy) from the body. Furthering and strengthening your AMB method, you will learn the manipulation of hair-thin needles (acupuncture) to stimulate qi flow along the body's paths and meridians. The therapeutic focuses of acupuncture are extensive; you may have the opportunity to pursue focuses and continue on through the Herbal Specialization aspect of our degrees.
By the end of the first year you will be a wash in Chinese medicine foundational knowledge, finished with your preceptorship, will have been through Clinic Skills, and will have passed your Clean Needle Technique exam (CNT). All this will be lining you up for the clinic where at the beginning of your second year, you will become a co-treater on your way to being an intern.
After the second year, first term, anticipate being a clinic intern treating regulars and new patients from our local community - under the watchful guidance of our seasoned clinic supervisors/mentors.
90 credits entry requirement
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Step three is the Master’s specialization in herbs. You can pursue this from the get go by meeting pre-requisites, being accepted, and declaring your program of choice to be MAcChM, or you can complete steps one (1) and two (2), and comeback for the herbs as a standalone Master’s Certificate. Same education either way.
Masters of Acupuncture & Chinese Herbal Medicine (MAcChM)
A Master's in Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine at ASAOM will require the time-honored knowledge of the Zangfu system of physiology and elements, foods and their beneficial harmonies within the body, traditional herbs and formulas, tuina body therapies and massage (through our nationally accredited, AZ State recognized, and AOBTA recognized AMB masters certification), Western and Chinese medical language, anatomy and physiology of the body and the energy channels within it, the sacred art of acupuncture and acupressure, as well as the complexities of diagnoses - the sacred flow, and the cultivation of life's energy through mindful practice.
This program will, at its completion, have seen the master's student through their AMB Master’s Certification, Master’s in Acupuncture, and Chinese Herbal Specialization as an inclusive master's degree. Anticipate everything listed for the modalities in the AMB and acupuncture programs of study to be incorporated in this program.
As a Naturopathic Medical Doctor, Dr. Michalsen came to be the dean of an acupuncture school through her own personal journey and ongoing discovery of the power of acupuncture medicine, complimentary, and integrative care.
Many people come to acupuncture and Chinese medicine through impactful life situations and discoveries. They are drawn toward a solution for care and their stories represent who we are, and why we pursue this medicine.
Dr. Kara Michalsen explains here path to becoming an integrative medical care provider.
Dr. Kara Michalsen, NMD - Dean of Academics
Have questions, or just want to talk?
Learn about admissions and, if you want you can schedule a one-on-one meeting with us.
Our industry has some challenges.
This is how we are addressing them in our education and development.
If you are looking elsewhere, think about asking them what they are doing to address these concerns.
This is important for you.
Employment Problem
It is challenging for graduates to secure employment. Compounding this issue is the time it takes to study for exams and pass each exam required for licensure. As a graduate, you are unable to work in your field until you are licensed. This can become extremely challenging and stressful when you need to earn money.
Solution 1 - Our Premier Asian Medical Bodywork Program (AMB)
Our programs’ foundation of bodywork produces a directly employable graduate. You are able to work with your medicine as an advanced bodywork professional while you are preparing for licensure exams. THIS IS HUGE! Not only are you able to earn money, but you are able to do it using your medicine, which aids in your studies.
Solution 2 - Professional Clinics
We are developing Professional Clinics as an aspect of our programs to ensure competitive employment for our graduates, in an integrative setting, and to support the industry to the highest degree we are able.
Our target in this endeavor is to have a competitive employment structure available through the college as we know what our graduates are capable of, and we are proud to be on your team as your care model is introduced to society.
As we continue to develop our Professional Clinics, we will have information links available through our site.
Access and Access
We have increased access to Chinese medicine education by creating a premier program for bodywork: Masters Certificate in Asian Medical Bodywork (ABM). This program has a lower admissions requirement (approx. Associates Degree or equivalent), and pursues Chinese medicine’s integration by generating access thorough bodywork. See how this works below:
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If you begin your studies by entering the bodywork program (72 credit pre-req), you can graduate and get to work as a directly employable, unique bodywork specialist. You are also slowing down the cost of your education by requiring less debt to get started. Then you can come back to complete the other aspects of your program LIKE SNAPPING LEGOS together. Get acupuncture, graduate, continue working while you pass licensure and incorporate your new skills. Stop there or return for the completion of your path by finishing your Chinese Herb Specialization Master’s Certificate.
With our path - Bodywork gets you directly employable and able to support yourself. And our AMB masters certificate is considered the most robust program in the nation. You are uniquely skilled as a bodywork professional, and a Chinese medicine provider.
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More patients come to you as a practitioner doing bodywork than placing needles because people are more familiar with the concept of massage in the West. When you become a licensed acupuncturist by furthering or completing your studies, your ability with bodywork allows you to gather patients more easily, and explain to them (EVANGELIZE) the other aspects your care model (i.e., acupuncture and herbs). Meanwhile, you remain uniquely effective as a healer with your hands and standout among bodywork specialists.
Tiered Process for Students to enter the medicine
NOT EVERYONE CAN DO A FULL PROGRAM ALL AT ONCE.
We recognize this and we have modeled our program to facilitate entry into the medicine. We’ve done this for you and the patients that need you. It works like this, you get choices:
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If you would like to pursue bodywork, we have arguably the best program in the nation. It’s nationally accredited, over 1,000 hours of study, generates limited student debt at roughly 20k in tuition, forms the basis of our education platform, and allows you to get right to work in Chinese medicine.
72 credit program entry requirement
You graduate faster, have a comfortable pace for knowledge acquisition, and can begin to earn money as a directly employable graduate (meaning, you are not stuck in a series of 4 national exams to achieve licensure before you can work).
If you meet the 90 credit requirement (or when, because you can take time after you graduate to work and study for the extra 30 credits you need) , you can carry your AMB education into a full program degree when you are ready to expand your understanding and practice. Remember, you have already completed the foundations of our medicine.
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If you have 90 credits of accredited college education, you can apply to our full programs and pursue a full degree.
The full programs can also come along as snap-to pieces.
ABM forms the base of our education. Our Acupuncture degree is built on top of the ABM, and our Chinese Herbal Specialization is built on top of the acupuncture degree.
Do it all at once, or (1) get your ABM, (2) complete you acupuncture masters, and (3) return for your herbal specialization.