Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Program Goals and Learning Outcomes

Statement of Purpose

The College of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine prepares the next generation of healthcare professionals to deliver and advance acupuncture and Chinese medical care.

Master of Acupuncture Program Goals

Our programs are guided by the following Program Goals that help to define and articulate the scope of our programs and how we will achieve our purpose.

The Program Goals for the Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine programs at Northwestern are:

Build and maintain a team of experts skilled in their fields and capable of transmitting that skill to learners.
Provide accredited programs that meet national educational standards and reflect the programs’ unique character as part of a multi-disciplinary university of health sciences.
Recruit a student body with the academic skills, maturity, and personal commitment that will help them develop into competent and caring practitioners.
Maintain a learning environment and academic standards that will ensure that students acquire the knowledge, skills, and attributes necessary for the practice of acupuncture and Chinese medicine in contemporary healthcare environments.
Provide clinical training in diverse environments that enables students to gain experience in the practical application of their knowledge and skills.
Provide students with the education and support needed to pass the national board examinations.
Support the ongoing educational needs of the acupuncture and Chinese medical community through continuing education and advanced programs.
Increase public awareness of acupuncture and Chinese medicine by providing community outreach programs and community-based clinical services.
Increase the utilization of acupuncture and Chinese medicine in integrative care environments and provide leadership in the advancement of public health and safety.

Doctor of Acupuncture Program Goals

Program Goals for the Doctor of Acupuncture with a Chinese Herbal Medicine Specialization (DAcCHM) are in addition to the overarching program goals listed above and are specific to the first professional doctorate program:

Provide education in advanced clinical skills that blend acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine in the diagnosis, treatment planning and clinical care of complex conditions
Provide education in modern biomedical standards of care and current scientific thought, allowing graduates to effectively represent acupuncture and Chinese medicine when communicating with mainstream health professions.
Provide practical training in the protocols and organizational structures of modern health care institutions, preparing graduates to serve as valuable team members when working in integrative environments.
Provide education in the practical application and integration of knowledge gained from both classical Chinese medical literature and modern evidence-informed practice.

Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Program Learning Outcomes

Master of Acupuncture (MAc) Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs):

Demonstrate the clinical application of the theories of Chinese medicine, including the functions of organs and channels, the locations and functions of points and the process of diagnosis by disease-pattern.
Identify the critical anatomical features of the body, with special detail concerning the anatomy of acupuncture points, and describe the basic concepts of biomedical physiology.
Compile all the necessary diagnostic data through accurate employment of the Four Examinations and appropriate biomedical examinations.
Develop a diagnosis that is suitable for acupuncture and accessory techniques, conforms with Chinese medical theory and includes any biomedical data necessary for the overall assessment of the patient’s health.
Based on the diagnostic findings, develop, manage, and periodically update a safe and effective treatment plan that includes, where appropriate, acupuncture, accessory techniques, counseling, and collaboration with or referral to other medical providers.
Using current best practices, skillfully and safely execute a treatment plan based on acupuncture and/or accessory techniques.
Recognize emergency situations or situations for which immediate biomedical care or follow-up is needed and undertake appropriate and timely intervention.
Apply contemporary, professional, ethical and legal standards to all aspects of care delivery and case management, including scope of practice, patient interaction, record keeping, informed consent and privacy.
Demonstrate professional communication skills that are appropriate to all parties involved in the continuum of care, including patients, families, peers, and providers from other disciplines.
Demonstrate the ability to locate and clinically apply relevant evidence concerning acupuncture from a variety of professional sources.
Evaluate the various contemporary business models and demonstrate the ability to establish a clinical practice in a private, integrative, or community health care setting.

Doctor of Acupuncture with a Chinese Herbal Medicine Specialization (DAcCHM) Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs):

Demonstrate the clinical application of the theories of Chinese medicine, including the functions of organs and channels, the locations and functions of points and the process of diagnosis by disease-pattern.
Identify the critical anatomical features of the body, with special detail concerning the anatomy of acupuncture points, and describe the basic concepts of biomedical physiology.
Compile all the necessary diagnostic data through accurate employment of the Four Examinations and appropriate biomedical examinations.
Develop a diagnosis that conforms with Chinese medical theory, has enough sophistication and detail to guide a treatment using both herbal medicine and acupuncture, and includes any biomedical data necessary for the overall assessment of the patient’s health.
Based on the diagnostic findings, develop, manage, and periodically update an effective treatment plan that includes herbal medicine, is safely integrated with any concurrent medications or nutraceuticals, and where appropriate, includes acupuncture, accessory techniques, counseling, and collaboration with or referral to other medical providers.
Using current best practices, skillfully and safely execute a treatment plan based on herbal medicine and, where appropriate, acupuncture and accessory techniques.
Identify the names, properties, flavors, functions, dosages, indications, and contraindications of a core list of Chinese herbs and food items, and where appropriate, apply modern concepts of taxonomy, toxicology, and phytochemistry.
Demonstrate the clinical application of the principles of combination and formulation of Chinese herbs, focusing on a core list of formulas.
Recognize emergency situations or clinical presentations for which immediate biomedical care or follow-up is needed and undertake appropriate and timely intervention.
Apply contemporary, professional, ethical and legal standards to all aspects of care delivery and case management, including scope of practice, patient interaction, record keeping, informed consent and privacy protection.
Demonstrate professional communication skills that are appropriate to all parties involved in the continuum of care including patients, families, peers, and providers from other disciplines.
Demonstrate the ability to locate, critically analyze and clinically apply relevant evidence on herbal medicine and acupuncture from both classical and modern professional sources.
Evaluate the various contemporary business models and demonstrate the ability to establish an acupuncture and Chinese herbal practice in a private, integrative, or community health care setting.
Demonstrate the ability to practice acupuncture and Chinese medicine effectively as part of the greater medical community and when necessary, function as an effective member of a cohesive integrative medical team.
Within the limits of acupuncture scope of practice, analyze, interpret, and discuss the results of lab and imagery studies, and use this data to develop a more complete assessment of a patient’s health.