public safety?

January 24, 2003

A short notice of interest was interspersed in the usual hodge podge of

yawn provoking articles in the latest newsletter from the AOM Alliance

(whoever they are -- just kidding). It said the NCCAOM was considering

requiring all students who graduate from OM programs who take the national

exam to take the herbal exam regardless of where they intend to practice,

their state laws, their state scope of practice, even if they do not

intend to use herbs in their practice at all. the rationale is that

because almost all acupuncturists prescribe herbs, yet only 1/3 take the

national herb exam, it is in the interest of public safety that they do

this. They can do this by only making the combined test available to OM

students. so if you only do the acupuncture portion, you will not receive

enough points to pass.

However, they also stated that students who graduate from Acupuncture only

programs will be allowed to take the acupuncture portion alone. This

sounds not quite legal. since the OM degree includes acupuncture, how can

you restrict the grads with the MORE comprehensive degree from being

licensed if they meet the same standard as those with LESS comprehensive

education. Plus all these grads from acupuncture only schools practice

herbology with little or no training anyway, so why exclude them from the

change? this is a huge loophole. Let the group that has no training do as

they please in states that have no herbal requirement, but make those who

are well trained pass an expensive exam. this really doesn't sound like

its about public safety at all.

There is another issue as well. what the NCCAOM is doing is essentially

exercising their federal power to override state laws. so regardless of

what licensing requirements a state has to protect public safety, the

NCCAOM will substitute its own judgment by only providing one test. Now I

do think grads should take an herbal exam. We do it here in CA and its

way harder than the national. But there cannot be loopholes like the one

mentioned above and the only way to close that loophole would be to

require all schools to teach herbology at the master's level or to insure

aggressive enforcement of the law in every state (uh-huh...). This is

ironic because AOM Alliance also endorsed a proposal in the same issue to

create a separate doctorate of acupuncture with no herbal training

component.

Chinese Herbs

" Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocre

minds " -- Albert Einstein

January 25, 2003

There is another issue as well. what the NCCAOM is doing is essentially exercising their federal power to override state laws. so regardless of what licensing requirements a state has to protect public safety, the NCCAOM

>>They have no other interest than to make money and hinder the progress of OM in the US. I would really like to see a good alternative develop.

Alon

January 25, 2003

Alon,

, " Alon Marcus "

<alonmarcus@w...> wrote:

> There is another issue as well. what the NCCAOM is doing is

essentially exercising their federal power to override state laws.

so regardless of what licensing requirements a state has to protect

public safety, the NCCAOM

> >>They have no other interest than to make money and hinder the

progress of OM in the US.

Is this what they state on their letterhead?

I would really like to see a good alternative develop.

What do you have in mind?

Ken

January 26, 2003

Is this what they state on their letterhead?I would really like to see a good alternative develop.What do you have in mind?>>>Another examining and accreditation body

Alon