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Acupuncture Board Certification Exam Approved for Minnesota Chiropractors

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this goes to the website, but here's the sneak preview

 

Acupuncture Board Certification Exam Approved for Minnesota

Chiropractors

 

After contention on both sides of the issue, on March 26, Judge Beverly

Heydinger recommended that the proposed board certification rule set

forth by the MN Board of Chiropractic Examiners (MBCE) be adopted into

law. This rule allows for the establishment of a National Board of

Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) Acupuncture board exam to be the standard

by which chiropractors who wish to practice acupuncture are tested by.

After completing 100 hours of acupuncture study and passing the new

NBCE competency exam, future chiropractors will be allowed to advertise

themselves as Nationally Board Certified acupuncturists.

 

Judge Heydinger ruled that the MBCE has the statutory authority to

propose such a rule, determined a need for it, and that they

demonstrated that the proposed amendment is “reasonable. " Judge

Heydinger did not; however decide on whether this policy alternative

was the " best " approach, which is where the majority of the conflict

lies.

 

The core of any health care policy issue should be what's optimal for

the patient. Is the general public sophisticated enough to know the

difference between a chiropractor who is a Board Certified

Acupuncturist and one who isn't? Is the public able to discern between

the healing ability of a chiropractor practicing acupuncture, who has

had only 100 hours of unspecified acupuncture training, and a LAC. who

is required to have over 15 times that amount? Larry Spicer, D.C.,

Executive Director of the MBCE seems to think so. In his February 17th

submission to Judge Heydinger he states that " members of the public may

become savvy enough to distinguish between chiropractors who have been

registered subsequent to examination and those who have not " and " those

who are, will also be easily able to distinguish between a chiropractor

who is merely using acupuncture in conjunction with care, as opposed to

a licensed acupuncturist. "

 

John Pirog, L.Ac., on the other hand believes the opposite. " Our

central objection to the NBCE examination is that it disguises

inadequate training. " It's an inappropriately broad exam for

inappropriately broad preparation. Will this amendment serve to

protect the public health, safety and welfare? Mark McKenzie, L.Ac.,

Dean of the Acupuncture college at Northwestern Health Sciences

University (NWHSU) testified that “neither competence nor protection of

the public can be achieved by inclusion of an exam based on an outdated

standard of 100 hours of training. "

 

" This was an opportunity missed by the judge and the MBCE to improve

something that needs clarification " Mark McKenzie stated after the

judge's decision. " We're disappointed that the judge didn't rule our

way, but the MBCE is legally entitled to propose such a ruling. " Going

forward, this ruling will continue to exacerbate the public's blurry

perception of acupuncture as a technique, and acupuncture as an

Oriental Medicine practice. It is now up to us to increase that public

awareness.

 

Written by Sarah Larson for Chinese Herbal Medicine

 

 

 

Chinese Herbs

 

 

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