Educational Objectives

The Purpose / Objectives of the Acupuncture Program is to create qualified and competent practitioners of acupuncture through student-centered educational structures and experiences that will result in the following competencies:

Programmatic Learning Objectives

1. Defend an etiology of disease from a TCM zang-fu, eight principle, and meridian perspective and utilize this to create and recommend disease prevention strategies as well as a logical acupuncture treatment.
2. Have the ability to formulate a logical treatment principle from an TCM pattern or meridian diagnosis which can be put into action utilizing Acupuncture Medicine modalities.
3. Evaluate patients exhibiting conditions from within the appropriate scope of practice utilizing the Four Pillars of Diagnosis to formulate a treatment plan.
4. Demonstrate competency in administering a treatment plan as part of the clinical encounter.
5. Demonstrate competency in acupuncture skills, techniques, and modalities taught at the school.
6. Identify and demonstrate knowledge of situations and symptoms which necessitate the need for referral to an appropriate health care professional.
7. Demonstrate the ability to communicate in a professional manner the acupuncture theories, medical concepts, and diagnoses to other qualified complementary healthcare professionals.

ESATM's primary academic program is the Master of Acupuncture degree which includes the extensive study of theory, diagnostics, methods of treatment, and acupuncture treatments. Several styles of acupuncture are introduced and studied after laying a solid foundation in TCM. The program is also designed to prepare students to sit for licensure examinations (NCCAOM).