Is becoming an acupuncturist right for me?
The first step to choosing a career is to make sure you are actually willing to commit to pursuing the career. You don’t want to waste your time doing something you don’t want to do. If you’re new here, you should read about:
Still unsure if becoming an acupuncturist is the right career path? Take the free CareerExplorer career test to find out if this career is in your top matches. Perhaps you are well-suited to become an acupuncturist or another similar career!
Described by our users as being “shockingly accurate”, you might discover careers you haven’t thought of before.
How to become an Acupuncturist
There are no specific educational requirements involved in many countries, and acupuncturists are often health care providers in other fields, such as the chiropractic field.
In countries like the U.S. and Canada however, registration as an acupuncturist means that an approved program of studies must be completed. In the U.S. practitioners must hold a degree in acupuncture or the equivalent. In Canada at least 500 hours of acupuncture practice must also be completed.
There are a number of accredited colleges for acupuncture, including some that offer master's degrees. Certification differs from state to state.
The primary focus of training is on use of acupuncture techniques, herbal medicine, massage and bodywork, nutrition, and energy exercises, but it also includes medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, western medical diagnostic testing, and herb-drug interactions.
In the UK and Australia, the practice is also regulated by law, but actual requirements vary by location and state. In China and Japan there are training facilities dedicated to acupuncture.