As the incoming CEO of the NCCAOM in 2019, my first initiative together with our Board of Commissioners was to widen the door, while maintaining our standards, for former diplomates to return to active status. NCCAOM certification is now required as the national standard for the practice of acupuncture medicine by federal agencies such as the Veterans Administration, and many employers and third-party payors. This is the impetus that has helped drive the NCCAOM's goal to streamline and remove unnecessary restrictions from our certification and recertification processes.
In response to numerous requests received from former diplomates and other stakeholders about challenges with the former NCCAOM reinstatement exam, the board and staff began the process of reviewing and revising the former reinstatement route. The new reinstatement route became a reality through the extensive work of NCCAOM's Reinstatement Taskforce and was approved by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), the accrediting body of the NCCAOM's certification programs.
Through its work with the NCCA, the NCCAOM ensured that the reinstatement route allows former diplomates to demonstrate evidence of maintenance of competencies in the core knowledge areas of foundations of Oriental medicine theory, biomedicine, acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine.
This time-limited reinstatement option requires demonstration of competency maintenance through Professional Development Activity (PDA) / CEU points. A comprehensive list of eligibility requirements and the step-by-step process are outlined at www.nccaom.org/certification/reinstatement/. Our Reinstatement Route FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) is also accessible online at www.nccaom.org/certification/reinstatement-route-q-n-a/. Please note that the NCCAOM will be able to accept most continuing-education credits approved for state relicensure.
This route was originally set to expire on June 30, 2021. Due to the COVID pandemic and its far-reaching consequences, the NCCAOM contacted the NCCA and with its approval, was able to extend the deadline to apply for reinstatement via this temporary route until June 30, 2022.
We are pleased to provide this extension to the time-limited route for former diplomates to regain their NCCAOM certification. The NCCAOM's knowledgeable and dedicated customer relations team is on standby to guide you through the process and may be contacted at reinstatement@thenccaom.org.
The Board of Commissioners, staff and I thank everyone who provided their valuable input that made it possible to create this temporary route to bring back our former diplomates. We also especially thank American Society of Acupuncturists (ASA) leadership and members in reaching out to us regarding the importance of the NCCAOM re-examining this reinstatement route, especially as NCCAOM certification is now required by agencies, many employers and insurance companies.
Chronic pain afflicts over 20% of the adult population. Sadly, most MDs have essentially no education in treating pain, beyond offering a few toxic medications. Then they tend to steer people with pain away from those health practitioners who are trained. This puts the acupuncture community on the front lines for addressing this epidemic.
When the body is going through a stressful event, the sympathetic system is activated. This activation will help the body with a life-threatening situation. If this state is activated for prolonged periods of time, it starts to consume energy. These traumatic events that generate stressors in the autonomic nervous system (ANS) will eventually become internalized.
| Digital Exclusive
One of the things that makes acupuncture so difficult to measure is that the medicine actually does contain some esoteric aspects. There have been numerous studies that demonstrate the neurochemical reasoning behind why acupuncture points stimulate the autonomic nervous system to enact change However, not all the benefits of TCM can easily be measured by randomized, controlled trials. But does that make them fundamentally and definitively untrue?
| Digital Exclusive