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The New Jersey Acupuncture Society (NJAS), is the Garden State鈥檚 professional organization of Licensed Acupuncturists and supporters of East Asian Medicine dedicated to promoting the profession of Acupuncture and East Asian Medicine by always striving for the highest standards of patient care, education, and integrity to ensure the health and well-being of the public.

The profession grows and evolves through practitioner support and The New Jersey Acupuncture Societysupports the practitioner by speaking for legislation that advances our profession while also fighting against legislation that would harm or hinder our profession.

The New Jersey Acupuncture Society serves the public through education via lectures, the media, publications, and referral services.聽 NJAS serves the members by offering invaluable benefits and discounts that essentially pay for the membership. NJAS offers students of acupuncture the opportunity to become more aware of the profession’s landscape (nationally and locally), awareness of job opportunities, and the support of networking with other students and acupuncturists before they graduate. 聽聽

Courtesy of The New Jersey Acupuncture Society President Jaime Wherry

Education and Practice Standards for Licensed Acupuncturists in New Jersey

Acupuncture Institute Accreditation

The US Department of Education recognizes the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine (ACAHM) as a specialized accreditation agency to accredit professional non-degree and graduate degree programs, including professional doctoral programs, in the field of acupuncture and/or East Asian medicine, as well as freestanding institutions and colleges of acupuncture and/or East Asian medicine that offer such programs, including programs offered via distance education.

The ACAHM is a not-for-profit corporation in the United States charged to ensure that the accrediting body meets specific standards established by Congress. For a directory of ACAHM Accredited and Pre-accredited Programs/Institutions, visit 

The Secretary of Education聽is charged with reviewing accrediting bodies and providing recognition to those accrediting agencies that meet the Secretary of Education鈥檚 criteria.

Acupuncture Licensure in New Jersey

After completion of an accredited master鈥檚 or doctorate degree in acupuncture, there are several requirements for acupuncture licensure in New Jersey. Be sure to visit the websites for the   and the New Jersey Department of Consumer Affairs  for the most current information.

• New Jersey requires a Bachelor鈥檚 degree that is independent of the courses taken to obtain an acupuncture degree.
• Candidates must pass three board exams from the NCCAOM聽in Acupuncture, Foundations of Oriental Medicine, and Biomedicine.
• In order to practice herbal medicine in New Jersey, practitioners must have an accredited master鈥檚 degree that includes herbal medicine (ex: MSTOM), and must pass the NCCAOM Chinese Herbology exam.
• Candidates must complete the聽聽course and exam, administered by the Council of Colleges of Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine before being eligible to sit for any board exams.
• The Acupuncture Examining Board requires every applicant for licensure to complete the New Jersey Acupuncture Safety and Jurisprudence Examination.
• All applicants must submit to a state-administered background check and fingerprinting.聽

Licensing standards are consistent with other medical practice applications and procedures, including continuing education requirements.

Continuing Education

Consistent with the standards of other licensed medical professionals, licensed acupuncturists in New Jersey are required to complete continuing education in order to maintain their license. Practitioners must complete at least 30 credit hours of continuing education every two years in order to renew their license. Visit  and the  for more information.

For more information:

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鈥淔orces beyond your control can take away everything you possess except one thing, your freedom to choose how you will respond to the situation. You cannot control what happens to you in life, but you can always control what you will feel and do about what happens to you.”

Victor E. Frankl, Man’s Search For Meaning

Over the course of life, one way or another, we all face moments that make us believe we are inadequate and disempowered.聽 At those moments, even if we seem to be left with nothing else we can do, we do have choices.聽 I like the quote because it points to the fundamental life principle that leads to the motivation for living.聽 It may be too serious to compare the question of why acupuncture training is good for your future to this life-meaning question.聽 However, answering the primary question to the essentials expands limiting beliefs and helps to stay as oneself.

1. Acupuncture is over 4,000 years old medicine.

Acupuncture and Chinese medicine has lasted over 4,000 years old and has spread

worldwide.聽 According to Matt Callison 鈥淚f something has lasted that of a long period, it needs to be examined and recognized how and why this has gained popularity in a modern world. Traditional Chinese medicine has substantial values that no other can offer.聽 It is a highly defined and flexible system for understanding the body, mind, spirit as a single entity.鈥�(Callison,35). Furthermore, because it has such a long history, the depth and complexity require years of in-depth study and practice to be precise and flexible.

2. You have choices.

Acupuncture has many different styles, methods, modalities that are available to practice.聽 There are styles from different countries and masters including Japan, South Korea, India, England, and more.聽 There are specialties in Gynecology, Andrology, Pediatrics, Geriatrics, Neurology, and etc.聽 Various methods on using body parts of ears(Auricular), Scalps, and hands.聽 Modalities such as Qi Gong, Tai Chi, Tui Na, Cupping, Moxibustion, Acupressure, Teishein.聽 Acupuncture often be cross-referenced with Western medicines in Physical therapy, Sports medicine, Chiropractic, Massage therapy, Nursing, and more.

3. It raises awareness and this leads to relating to others.

According to my class peer, her thought to why acupuncture is good for the future is that a lot of people are becoming more educated and aware about the body鈥檚 natural healing process and the ability to not take prescription drugs to avoid addiction, so being an acupuncturist can help them heal in a more natural way without the drugs.

Acupuncture views the human body and its mind and spirit as one whole identity. This raises awareness in one鈥檚 own body, mind, and spirit that it expands perspectives and eventually leads to connect to others to help them in so many ways.

References:

Callison, Matt. Motor Point Manual – An Acupuncturists Guide to Needle Motor Points. Energetics of Structural Balance, 2000.

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The Year of the Pig is the last animal sign of the 12 Year Chinese Zodiac Cycle

As such it is often considered predictive of an 鈥榓uspicious year, in general signifying a year of wealth & good fortune!

February 4, 2019 is typically time for a big family reunion dinner as it represents the 30^th day or Lunar New Year鈥檚 Eve.

This year the Lunar New Year is celebrated from February 5^th through February 19^th .

Foods symbolizing luck are included

• Fish: the Chinese word for fish sounds like the Chinese word for 鈥榮urplus鈥�
• Puddings: symbolize advancement
• Dumplings: resemble Gold Ingots

After the feast, families will stay up past midnight to welcome in the new year.

Things To Enjoy

Set off Fireworks as loud banging noises banish evil spirits and negative influences

Eat Dumplings as the shape of dumplings resemble gold ingots and an entire bowl of dumplings will represent wealth and prosperity

Clean your home before the New Year

Things to Avoid:

Avoid Cutting or Washing your Hair:

The character for hair is the same as the first character for the word 鈥楶rosper鈥�;

Therefore do not sever Prosperity by cutting your hair or wash your fortune away

(Dry Shampoo is acceptable)

Avoid Cleaning on Day 1 of the Lunar New Year

Discard trash before midnight of the Eve of the Lunar New Year so as to not wipe or sweep away any of the Good Luck that is coming into your home along with the Lunar New Year.

Avoid Buying or Gifting Books until after February 19^th

The character for book Shu1 is the same as the word for 鈥榣ose鈥�; gifting of books during this time is also considered wishing bad luck on the recipient.

Kung Hei Fat Choi!

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中国P站 was happy to host the Donguibogam Academy who presented the Eastern School with a copy of the translated Donguibogam in a book donation ceremony on June 29, 2018.聽 The book donation ceremony was followed by an introduction to Korean Medicine. It was an amazing opportunity to learn Korean medicine from KM experts and learn about the rich history of Traditional Korean Medicine. We look forward to working with the Donguibogam Academy again!

Some information on Korean Medicine (from the Academy website)

中国P站 Korean Medicine

Korean medicine (KM) has been largely influenced by TCM but has developed its own unique diagnostic and treatment features. KM does not focus on explicit symptoms but on the specific characteristics of the individuals who are suffering from diseases. KM believes that even for the same causes of disease, different physiologic and pathologic features appear depending on individual differences among people; this is called constitutional medicine. KM can be described as 鈥渉uman-centric medicine鈥� while TCM is 鈥渟ymptom-centric medicine.鈥� In addition to Sasang constitutional medicine, Sa-am, Tae-guk and Hand Acupuncture are also unique to KM.

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The Lunar New Year is also known as the spring festival and starts with the new moon on the first day of the New Year and end on the full moon 15 days later. The 15th day of the new-year is called the Lantern Festival, which is celebrated at night with lantern displays and children carrying lanterns in a parade.

Common customs for Lunar New Year are to thoroughly clean the house prior to the Lunar New Year; but not to dust or sweep on New Year鈥檚 Day as the risk is that good fortune might be swept away. Also, it is custom to hide sharp object and tools, plus refrain from use or scissors as to not cut away wealth.

Dried fruits are most common during the season, a platter full of blessings may include; kumquats, tangerines, oranges-which with their golden color signify wealth and prosperity; peaches-with represent longevity and health; grapes-representing bountiful harvest and pomegranates-representing large family. Eating baked seeds is a favorite pastime of most Chinese people and most spring dishes and desserts have legendary origins and symbolic meanings. For example persimmon cakes (shi bing), are a popular New Year鈥檚 Eve treat and persimmons represent the phrase 鈥渆verything goes according to your wishes鈥�.

The swan and the lantern festival is fifteen days after the spring festival and marks the end of Chinese New Year celebrations. Why lanterns? As the story goes, a heavenly swan was killed by a hunter when it visited the human world. To avenge its death, the Jade Emperor planned to send his knights and burn the earth down. The lesser gods were horrified at this plan and secretly went to warn the humans. On that night, the humans lit firecrackers and each household hung lanterns. From the heavens, it seemed like Earth was in flames. It tricked the Jade Emperor and humanity was saved from his wrath.

Happy New Year from all of us at 中国P站!

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Like any life changing event, furthering your education or changing career paths is a major decision. Prospective students who apply to acupuncture school are adult learners who are experiencing different phases of their lives. Some are fresh out of undergrad and living with their parents, some are starting families, some are sending their own children to college, some are the care takers of their parents and some are enjoying retirement. Whatever phase of life you find yourself in there is usually a point where you take a look at your career/life plans outside of these major life events.

What educational background do I need to attend acupuncture school?

Acupuncture school (and licensing) requirements vary state to state. Applicants should take into consideration what state they are looking to both attend school and gain licensure in. In the state of NJ, acupuncturists are required to have a bachelor鈥檚 degree independent of their acupuncture education. The good news for the adult learner? Your degree can be in any topic-your academic background can be in architecture, restaurant management, math, philosophy-literally any subject to enter an acupuncture program in NJ and also meet the licensure requirements!

What should I look for in an acupuncture school?

Accreditation: The accrediting commission for acupuncture programs is ACAOM (Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine). There are some colleges that have regional accreditation that offer acupuncture programs, the acupuncture program itself must be under ACAOM accreditation.

Degree Recognition: If a school is accredited by ACAOM, it will be recognized by the department of education in the state in which is it offered.

Class Size: Do you want to be a small fish in a big pond? Or do you excel in a smaller class size? Acupuncture schools classes vary in size by institution. Some schools start co-horts with over 100 students, some schools as low as 5.

Financial Aid: Does the school accept financial aid? The base tuition for acupuncture education is fairly comparable between schools, however how you are going to pay for the tuition is a different story.

Faculty: Look at the faculty bios on the schools website. An experienced and well credentialed faculty that are considered subject matter experts in their individual field are an integral part of your education.

Core Curriculum: To apply for a state acupuncture license students must pass their national comprehensive exams. While individual states vary regarding national exam requirements, the exams themselves cover Oriental Theory (TCM), Western Bioscience, Point Location and Herbal Medicine. TCM or Traditional Chinese Medicine is the style of acupuncture that is required by NCCAOM (National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine)

Location: In general acupuncture schools are going to provide students with an education that also meets the licensing requirements of that particular state. For example, the state of NJ requires a minimum of 2500 hours of acupuncture education, a bachelor鈥檚 degree in addition to acupuncture education, three modules of the National Exams and a state exam to gain licensure. The states surrounding the NJ area do not necessarily have the same state standards for licensure. Since NJ has a higher standard than the surrounding states if a student attends a NJ acupuncture school they will readily meet the requirements of the surrounding states, however attending an acupuncture program outside of NJ may not necessarily meet the required hours or prep students for the NJ state exam for licensure.

What can I expect when I graduate?

When considering an acupuncture program look at the curriculum of the school to see if they provide courses in practice management, ethics, law and medical billing. Many graduates are looking to start their own practice and the school they attend should give students the tools to provide them with a business plan in order to start and maintain a successful practice. Also take into consideration if the school provides alumni with job forum boards or employment placement. Remember your success is the schools success!

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Acupuncturists Without Borders has been contacted by many AWB trainees who are ready to provide relief efforts in evacuation centers and for first responders. Please help in any way you can so we can make this effort happen today!

Your support and caring are sincerely appreciated!

Thank you!!

Melanie Rubin, Associate Director
Carla Cassler, Associate Director
Ravyn Stanfield, Executive Director
Diana Fried, President

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