AAAOM First Professional Doctorate Survey

[Guest guest]

I'm going to take this opportunity to insert this note. CHA of course

takes no stand on Doctorate issues. Others of course do and apparently

strongly, for and against. I'm passing on this series of letters from

those who do and for the benefit of those who might or might want to.

Doug

 

______________________________

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Colleagues,

 

Please complete the linked survey

<http://www.aaaomonline.org/interactive.asp?ID=38>

on the First Professional Doctorate (FPD). If we can demonstrate strong

professional

support for the FPD through this survey, its development would be

accelerated.

Personally,

I believe its adoption would result in the following benefits for the AOM

profession:

 

1. On top of the current AOM master's curriculum, graduates will gain

additional medical

systems based competencies that will help them get jobs in hospitals and

clinics, where

many potential patients could benefit from AOM care.

2. Broader opportunities for AOM reps to sit at the table in policy making

processes

where doctoral level education is required;

3. Increased opportunities AOM practitioners to teach in environments

where

doctoral

level education is required to spread knowledge and awareness about the

medicine;

4. Increased ability to function as point of entry providers into the

health

care system,

especially in those states where primary care responsibilities are

required;

5. Achievement of degree parity with graduates of other first professional

doctoral

education programs in both primary and allied modes of care; and

6. Enhanced recognition and acceptance of the AOM profession by the

general

public.

 

So read through the material and links below, do the survey (2

questions), and

if you need

more info let me know.

 

Thanks, Benjamin

 

------ Forwarded Message

> AAAOM <execdir

> Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:30:34 -0800

> " bdierauf " <bdierauf

> AAAOM: Professional Survey on the First Professional Doctorate

 

All AOM Practitioners in the United States

 

American Association of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine (AAAOM)

 

Re: AAAOM Professional Survey on the First Professional Doctorate

 

Dear Practitioners:

 

The American Association of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine (AAAOM)i is

conducting a

survey of professional practitioners to gauge the level of support for

a First

Professional

Doctorate (FPD). Please read this letter carefully, review the

included links

below, discuss

this issue with your colleagues, participate on the AAAOM discussion

board, and

complete

the survey. <http://www.aaaomonline.org/interactive.asp?ID=38>

 

A First Professional Doctorate (FPD) is a degree that graduates

receive upon

completion of

a professional doctoral program. It leads to licensure and practice in

a given

professional

occupation. Many health care professions are moving to a first

professional

doctorate

(FPD), most recently physical therapy (DPT) and occupational therapy

(OTD).

Should the

AOM profession do the same?

 

Process-wise, ACAOM convened a task force composed of stakeholders

from the AOM

community to develop draft standards for the First Professional

Doctorate. The

group

considered the requirements for a changing set of cultural needs for AOM

practitioners

entering the market over the next 20 years. These include the Institute of

Medicine core

competencies for all 21st century health professions. The results were

then

distributed to

the communities of interest through Town Halls and electronic media.

It became

apparent,

however, that the Asian practitioner communities were insufficiently

represented. This

survey seeks to rectify the skew in the received data.

 

Doctoral degrees and titles in the AOM field can be complicated. It is

important

to clarify

the difference between an academic degree and title by license.

Currently, some

states

grant doctoral title by licensure, without an earned doctorate in the

field.ii

For our

purposes in this survey we are discussing an earned academic doctorate

that one

achieves

as a criteria to begin practice.

 

Another area that is important to clarify is the difference with the

currently

offered

Doctorate in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (DAOM), which is a post

graduate

clinical

specialty doctorate. It is based on Accreditation Commission of

Acupuncture &

Oriental

Medicine (ACAOM)iii standards and is being offered or developed by

approximately

12

AOM schools. These post-graduate clinical specialty programs require a

master's

degree

in AOM or its equivalent as a prerequisite; they are not first

professional

doctorates, rather

they are designed to develop specialty skills beyond the entry level.

 

Attached below are links for background information that does not

necessarily

reflect the

views of the AAAOM. Please complete the linked survey by December 31.

As noted

above,

the enclosed survey pertains only to the possibility of a First

Professional

Doctorate.

 

Thanks for your participation in this important matter.

 

Sincerely,

 

AAAOM Education Committee

 

Education/Credentialing: Will Morris, Chair; Christine Chang, Benjamin

Dierauf,

Mark

Hanson, Fred Jennes, Anyork Lee, Honora Wolf

 

The Education/Credentialing Committee purpose is to provide expertise from

within the

professional association to accrediting, licensing and educating

bodies, and to

facilitate

the development of board certification processes.

 

__________________

i The AAAOM has represented the field of AOM on the national level

since 1981,

please

see About the AAAOM for more details.

<http://www.aaaomonline.org/default.asp?

pagenumber=12> The AAAOM mission is to promote excellence and

integrity in the

professional practice of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, in order

to enhance

public

health and well-being.

 

ii Examples of 'title by license' include, Rhode Island: Doctor of

Acupuncture,

Florida:

Acupuncture Physician, and New Mexico: Doctor of Oriental Medicine.

 

iii The Accreditation Commission of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine,

has maximum

recognition from the U.S. Department of Education to accredit first

professional

masters

degree level programs in AOM. They are in the process of seeking

recognition for

accrediting the DAOM programs now that appropriate site visit reviews

have been

conducted, and ACAOM has accredited a cadre of DAOM programs.

 

Links:

 

AAAOM Online Professional Survey

<http://www.aaaomonline.org/interactive.asp?ID=38>

(PLEASE RESPOND TO THIS INTERACTIVE FORM.)

 

AOM First Professional Doctorate Q & A: Commonly asked questions

regarding the

potential transition to a FPD Degree. (PDF)

<http://www.aaaomonline.info/aom_fpd_faq.pdf>

 

AOM Comes of Age: ACAOM Draft Doctoral Standards Compared to Current

Entry Level

Masters Standards - This article outlines a brief history of the

development of

the FPD and

clearly expresses the key differences between the current AOM Masters and

proposed FPD

Degrees. (PDF) <http://www.aaaomonline.info/aom_comes_of_age.pdf>

 

Physical Therapist Transition to a Professional Entry-Level Doctorate

– Contains

detailed

FAQ's on issues similar in scope to what AOM practitioners might face that

Physical

Therapists addressed as they transitioned from a First Degree Masters to

Professional

Doctorate Degrees.

(PDF)<http://www.aaaomonline.info/pt_transition_to_fpd.pdf>

 

Draft Standards for First-Professional Doctoral Programs in AOM –

ACAOM's draft

proposal on the FPD Degree.

(PDF)<http://www.aaaomonline.info/acaom_draft_fpd.pdf>

 

AAAOM Discussion Board on FPD issues.

<http://forums.aaaomonline.org/forum.asp?

FORUM_ID=25>

 

AAAOM Online Professional Survey - The purpose of this survey is to

ascertain

interest in

the first professional doctorate. Please mark the space beside the

statement

that most

accurately reflects your opinion.

<http://www.aaaomonline.org/interactive.asp?ID=38>