I received an email from someone in our community last week that really impressed me. She was accurate in her assessment and precise in her question: “What makes your practice so different than most licensed acupuncturists?” I’m sure many people have the same basic questions about education, licensing etc., so I posted her email and my response. Her email is in italics and my response is in bold.
Hi – while I’m being treated very well in my present practitioners’ care, I have often walked past your office and wondered what a DAOM level practitioner can offer that an L.Ac. can’t do. From your website it looks as though you’ve been able to effectively alleviate a wide variety of serious and complex conditions and help restore a lot of people to health from a disease state, so there must be something special about your practice with which I’m not familiar…and which it might be advantageous to know if I ever needed a different level of treatment or a different approach than I can get elsewhere. Can you tell me a little bit about what it is that you do differently? Thank you!
Thank you for your email. For a complete breakdown of who can preform acupuncture and their levels of training click here. The scope of practice under California law is the same for an LAC (Licensed Acupuncturist) and a DAOM (Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine). The situation is analogous to a marriage and family therapist (MFT) and a psychologist (PsyD/PHD). They both are licensed to do therapy, but a psychologist is a doctor with more training. You can attain LAC in California after passing the board exam. To sit for the exam you need to complete an accredited Masters (now called a doctorate in Traditional Chinese Medicine or DTCM) program or an intensive apprenticeship. A but a DAOM is a postgraduate degree which requires an additional two years (at least) of schooling. The DAOM degree is for those wishing to go deeper into the medicine and specifically, to acquire a specialty.
Under pressure from LACs, a “bridge doctorate” was created within the last few years. These initials may look similar to DTCM. People who have completed this program can call themselves doctors. These practitioners have taken online classes (typically a 9 month training) primarily in allopathic medicine. There IS NO OR MINIMAL EAST ASIAN MEDICINE EDUCATION included in these bridge programs.
Masters degrees in the United States focus on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). TCM is a synthesis of thousands of years of Chinese medical practices and medical theories created under Mao Zedongduring, a dictator of China, during the last century. Other forms of Oriental Medicine are Japanese acupuncture and Classical Chinese Medicine, which I feel take into account the breath of this healing paradigm in a deeper way than Traditional Chinese medicine. A significant portion of my practice is comprised of patients who have been to LAC/DTCMs without success. I’ve found this widened perspective to be very helpful when assisting these patients.
I also utilize Western testing. I am very comfortable ordering and interpreting blood work, imaging reports, stool analysis (for bacteria and parasites), saliva tests (which are helpful for measuring circadian rhythms and adrenal function), etc.
I’ve learned how to incorporate Western herbs and supplements into my practice as well. My research training helps me understand botanical medicine on many levels-from the traditional use of the plant, down to the level of randomized double-blinded studies.
If it is in the patient’s best interest to be referred to another healthcare provider such as a rolfer, allopathic physician, hepatologist, reproductive endocrinologist, etc, I can guide them to colleagues that I have a good working relationship with. I think this is a very important part of good healthcare.
I’m glad that you are satisfied with your current care. I hope I’ve answered your question. Education and experience are big parts of the equation when evaluating healthcare practitioners, but so is the alchemical mixture of patient and physician. Evaluating the level of training and education can help guide you when looking for a practitioner. Ultimately, the essence of who the practitioner is in relationship to their patient, and what they bring to the table in an intangible way is also critically important.
Best, Dr. Rozenn
