Master of Acupuncture with Chinese Herbal Medicine Specialization

Didactic Training

Basic Sciences Curriculum within Acupuncture and Traditional Asian Medicine

Basic science courses within acupuncture and traditional Asian medicine include Anatomy and Physiology, Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Pathology, and Pharmacology. These courses serve as a foundation for an understanding of the human body and provide students with the necessary skills and competency to pursue coursework in the master's degree programs. In addition, a portion of the Anatomy and Physiology course is taught in Bastyr’s cadaver anatomy lab, thus giving students the unique opportunity to study anatomy in greater depth.

The basic sciences faculty encourages and expects students to advance beyond the simple learning of scientific facts and to integrate systematically the information from basic science disciplines into a unified model of human organization and function. This educational scheme requires students to assume an active role in the learning process and encourages them to adopt this inquisitive behavior for a lifetime. Problem solving, clinical cases, and examples are an integral part of the basic science curriculum. This educational process is an expression of Bastyr University’s basic philosophy of a holistic approach to human behavior, health, and therapeutics. The basic sciences faculty encourages students to pursue an integrated approach to learning and understanding. Instructors are readily available to facilitate this process on an individual basis.

The department also offers General Chemistry in a summer intensive format, which is a prerequisite requirement for the MAcCHM degree program.

Counseling and Health Psychology Curriculum within Acupuncture and Traditional Asian Medicine

The counseling and health psychology curriculum trains students in understanding and effecting change in the emotional, mental, and spiritual dimensions of human functioning.

Students in acupuncture and traditional Asian medicine master's programs are required to take the following:

• PS5205 Patient Communications - 3 credits
• PS6100 Motivational Interviewing - 2 credits

For additional counseling and health psychology courses available as electives to matriculated students, please see the Counseling and Health Psychology course listings in this catalog or the current quarterly schedule of classes. 

Electives

The Department of Acupuncture and East Asian Medicine continually develops and adds to its special topics and elective course curriculum. These courses are included in the course description section of the catalog.

The MAcCHM requires completion of 6 elective credits. For dual-degree (ND/MAcCHM) students, please see the dual-degree program requirements described in the School of Naturopathic Medicine section. 

Case/Herbal Studies in China

Students in good academic standing may apply for advanced studies in China. Currently, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine is the main site for Bastyr herbal clinical experiences. For more information and an application, see the AEAM China Studies link on MyBU. The clinic in China is a 4-credit experience to be applied toward the MAcCHM preceptorship clinic requirements and/or elective credit. These credits cannot be audited.

The herbal studies course primarily focuses on Chinese herbal medicine for clinical applications. By analyzing complicated clinical conditions, students get a deeper understanding of Chinese medicine herbal theory, differentiation of clinical patterns, and the making of proper TCM diagnosis. This course includes discussion of various treatment approaches, including Chinese herbal formulas, herbal modifications to the main herbal formula, clear cooking instructions, and dietary recommendations. This externship is approved by the university on a year-by-year basis. Students will be alerted in the fall if it is approved for the following summer.

Lab Courses

A portion of AEAM didactic education takes place in a lab environment for hands-on training.  Students are asked to participate in roles as both practitioner and patient on each other.  Consent is implied unless the student notifies the instructor to the contrary.  Students who are unable to act as a patient for a fellow classmate or allow another student to practice any techniques on them must notify the instructor and the Student Access and Accommodations Office (SAA) prior to week two of the quarter. If granted permission by the SAA, the department will hire a substitute to be an extra lab partner for the course.

Students in the MAcCHM program take CHM dispensary lab courses (CH6100 and CH7100) at Bastyr Center for Natural Health in any quarter of the program after spring year one. This is an opportunity to have hands-on experiences in dispensing Chinese herbal medicinal formulations and in learning the tasks associated with managing an herbal dispensary.

Clinical Training

The core of the program’s clinical training takes place at Bastyr Center for Natural Health, the University’s teaching clinic. Bastyr Center is a comprehensive, multidisciplinary clinic providing quality training for students in all of the University’s programs. Within the acupuncture and traditional Asian medicine clinic, students receive clinical training in acupuncture and Chinese herbs in addition to other modalities relevant to the scope of practice in Washington state. Students also have the opportunity to train at several community medical sites that provide clinical experience in working with diverse populations.

The clinical training program begins in the first year and is comprised of three observation rotations (including one observation theater rotation), one observation preceptorship,16 student clinician rotations, and four Chinese herbal clinical rotations. Clinical entrance requirements for observers include the following (details can be found in the Student Clinician Handbook): completed AM4801 Clinic Entry; completed TB screening; received hepatitis B vaccination or titer; completed online HIPAA, BBP, and safety trainings; submitted confidentiality form, Washington state patrol check, and national background check; and have proof of current CPR (Basic Life Support) training. The criminal background check will be conducted prior to enrolling in clinical shifts. For more information, see Felony Conviction Disclosure and Background Checks in the Academic Policy and Procedure Manual, in the Student Policies and Procedures section of MyBU on Sharepoint. In addition, the AEAM department requires students to complete the requirements for external sites: mumps, measles, and rubella (two doses or titer), varicella (two doses or titer), influenza (annually), and current Tdap (Students with medical reasons can be exempt from completing external rotations.) These requirements and the documentation thereof will be explained and submitted during AM4801 Clinic Entry.

The three observation rotations (AM5801, AM5802, and AM6800) can be completed in any of the five quarters preceding clinician status. All observation hours, rotation hours, and interim observation hours must be completed prior to starting as a student clinician, in spring of the second year. The preceptorship shift (AM6801) may be performed in either the observation or clinician phase of training and can only be registered for after a student has completed AM5801 or AM6800. A minimum of one observation rotation must be completed in order to do a preceptorship.

Additional eligibility requirements for student clinician status are as follows: successfully complete all curriculum requirements up through the end of the sixth quarter and be in good academic standing; take and pass the CCAHM Clean Needle Technique exam; have a current CPR card (Basic Life Support), annual TB screening, annual online HIPAA, BBP training, and annual influenza vaccination; pass the comprehensive exams—foundations and acupuncture—and pass all components of AM6402 TCM Advanced Techniques Lab. Additional eligibility requirements for students entering Chinese herbal clinical rotations include good academic standing and passing the comprehensive Herbal Clinic Entry exam in the eighth quarter of the program. Students are welcome to take additional clinic rotations for elective credit on a space-available basis. However, elective rotations cannot be used to make up missing hours in core rotations due to prior or future absences.

Interim Clinic functions as an extension of the regular clinic rotation. Students are required to complete a total of 36 interim clinic hours. (Usually students staff the shifts they were assigned to in the quarter just ended.)  Of the 36 required interim hours, 8 hours are done as an observer and 28 hours as an intern. Details can be found in the Student Clinician Handbook. Students register and pay for this shift, AM7850 AEAM Interim Clinic, in their last quarter of attendance.

External Clinic Rotations

The opportunity to be placed at one of the external clinics offered through Bastyr University is contingent on the student’s ability to provide documentation of a vaccination history. If this documentation is unavailable or out of date, students will need to update their vaccinations at either local health centers or through their personal physicians. The community clinic rotations are outstanding clinical experiences in working with underserved and special patient populations, including developing skills working with medical translators. Students who have a medical reason preventing completion of immunizations required by external sites will NOT be eligible for these rotations, and clinical training may be restricted to the Bastyr student clinic. Students are also required to submit to a national criminal background check. For more information, see Felony Conviction Disclosure and Background Checks in the Academic Policy and Procedure Manual.

AEAM External Clinical Training Sites:

• Providence Regional Medical Center Everett–-cancer treatment and pain management
• Columbia City Neighborcare Health Clinic–-multi-ethnic/low-income patients
• Highpoint Neighborcare Health–-family health and general community patients (temporarily closed due to COVID19)

Academic Status and Graduation Requirements

Students in the MAcCHM must complete their degree requirements within six years. Students must complete at least two-thirds of their credits (146.5 quarter credits) in residence at Bastyr University including all clinical credits.

Students in the master’s program must maintain a minimum of a 3.0 GPA to be in good academic standing. For more information on academic status, see Academic Status–Probation, Suspension, and Dismissal in the Academic Policy and Procedure Manual.  

In MAcCHM, grades below a 72.9 percent indicate failure to meet the minimum level of competency for learning objectives or core competencies. A student who receives a failure in a required course, lab, clinic shift, or internship must repeat that course, lab, clinic, or internship. A first-year student who earns <3.0 GPA on foundational courses (TCM Fundamentals, TCM Diagnosis 1 and 2, TCM Pathology 1 and 2, and Meridians and Points 1, 2, and 3) will be required to retake one or more of the courses.

In order to receive a license to practice acupuncture in the majority of states, a student must earn either an MAc or MAcCHM degree, pass the NCCAOM licensing exam and meet any additional state requirements. Several states require Chinese herbal medicine training for licensure (e.g., California, Florida, New Mexico, and Texas).

Electives/Special Topics: The MAcCHM program requires a total of 6 elective/special topics credits. These credits may be any general electives/special topics as long as the prerequisites for each course are met.

The curriculum tables that follow list the tentative schedule of courses each quarter.

MAcCHM Year I

Fall

Winter

Spring

Summer

MAcCHM Year II

Fall

Winter

Spring

Summer

MAcCHM Year III

Fall

Winter

Spring

Summer

Total Requirements

Curriculum and course changes in the 2022-2023 Bastyr University Catalog are applicable to students entering during the 2022-2023 academic year. Please refer to the appropriate catalog if interested in curriculum and courses required for any other entering year.