Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
The Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (DAOM) program is a post-graduate, clinical doctorate that is designed to accommodate licensed practitioners who wish to complete their doctoral degree while maintaining their practices. This multi-format program consists of online and hybrid courses along with monthly intensive, didactic, lab and clinical training in Seattle. The DAOM is a minimum two-calendar-year course of study with part-time extensions available. The program must be completed within four calendar years.
Purpose
The purpose of the Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine program is to develop the knowledge and skills of highly qualified practitioners in the specialty area of advanced pain management. The program accomplishes this through rigorous training in traditional Asian medicine and biomedical concepts and by emphasizing an integrative model of care delivery in a hospital setting. The program fosters leaders prepared to make significant contributions in clinical practice, education, advocacy and scholarship.
Expected Program Outcomes
Graduates of the DAOM program's clinical doctorate will have the skills to:
- develop advanced acupuncture and traditional Asian medical diagnoses and treatments for complex or severe conditions.
- demonstrate diverse pain treatment strategies in acupuncture and traditional Asian medical care.
- deliver evidence-informed treatment and describe traditional Asian medical practices in biomedical terms, as part of a collaborative integrated medical team.
- participate in a clinical supervisory team educating master's level students of acupuncture and traditional Asian medicine.
- apply academic and clinical research fluency and hone research skills involved in study design and preliminary investigations.
- educate varied audiences about traditional Asian medical systems.
- exercise leadership to advance the profession and foster generations of the professional community.
Admission
For general information on the admissions process, please refer to the Admissions section in this catalog. The information below refers only to the DAOM program.
Prerequisites
The prerequisite for the Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (DAOM) degree is a master's (or its equivalent) or professional doctoral degree in acupuncture or acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine with a minimum of 45 hours of fundamental Chinese herbal medicine coursework from an ACAOM-candidate or ACAOM-accredited program. Students who do not have sufficient coursework hours in fundamental Chinese herbal medicine will be required to complete such work as a corequisite for the program. An applicant is required to be licensed as an acupuncturist in Washington or their home state and be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
The minimum cumulative GPA for required courses is 2.75.
Transfer
Students who wish to transfer from other accredited acupuncture and traditional Asian medicine programs are accepted on a space-available basis and must meet the same entrance requirements at the class level they seek to enter. Transfer credit is evaluated on an individual basis following completion of the application process. Transfer applicants must submit a $100 transfer evaluation fee.
Applicants must provide an official transcript from the college or program from which the transfer is being requested, demonstrating that they are leaving in good academic standing.
Applicants must submit syllabi from the courses they completed in their acupuncture program and should be prepared to submit additional documentation to support a thorough evaluation. If a transfer student is found to be deficient in some area(s) of study, the student may be required to complete additional courses at Bastyr University. Maximum allowable transfer didactic credit for the DAOM program is 24. None of the clinical credits from other institutions are acceptable. For more information on transfer admission policies and procedures, contact the admissions office.
Program of Study
The Doctor of Oriental Medicine (DAOM) is a post-graduate (post-master’s) clinical doctoral program where students gain substantial clinical expertise and research competency while greatly expanding their knowledge of acupuncture medicine. The DAOM program is dedicated to developing the knowledge and skills of qualified practitioners in the specialty of advanced pain relief and management.
The DAOM curriculum is delivered by a combination of Bastyr University’s expert faculty and nationally recognized guest faculty whose knowledge and experience deeply enrich student learning. The program is delivered in multiple formats consisting of online, in-person and hybrid coursework. Didactic and laboratory training occur once a month at Bastyr Center for Natural Health.
The required clinical internship is scheduled separately from the classroom modular coursework. Internship takes place primarily in a hospital setting and also at BCNH for a total of 240 hours. In addition, students complete a series of self-designed preceptorships and a two-week (88-hour) in-hospital China externship or Integrated Care rotation.
Integrated pain management takes place during internship rotations with the Integrated Pain Care Program in the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine Acute Pain Services at Harborview Medical Center in conjunction with University of Washington Medical School in Seattle, Washington. In-patients are referred to the integrated pain team from other departments at Harborview and are treated in their rooms. A primary focus is relief of pain while reducing the use of pharmaceutical medications, particularly opiates. This integrated treatment program supports acupuncture research.
Students experience training in advanced traditional Chinese medicine and biomedical concepts enabling an integrative model of care delivery. Areas of study include clinical applications of Chinese medical classics, research literacy and writing skills, advanced clinical communication including case presentation, and courses in practical techniques for the relief and management of acute and chronic pain.
Courses in teaching, supervision and presentation contribute to multi-directional integration of the profession via communication with students, instructors, other health care professionals and the public.
Students complete a scientific or scholarly research capstone project, which has the ultimate goal of advancing integration of the profession with the broader world of health and medical science. Courses supporting information literacy, research literacy and research writing feed into capstone development and presentation. Each student is appointed a mentor to assist them with their capstone project.
Although the Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine program gives students the option of living and working elsewhere while completing the degree, students should expect to make accommodations for the rigor of the program. It is possible to extend the program by delaying components of the capstone or clinical coursework. If extended, the program must be completed within four calendar years.
Clinic Credentialing
Prior to clinical rotations, DAOM students are required to fulfill medical and training requirements, summarized below:
- Acupuncture license
- National and state background check
- TB screening
- BCNH and Harborview Medical Center training
- CPR (Basic Life Support)/AED certification
- Immunizations:
- Hepatitis B
- MMR
- TDap
- Varicella
- Influenza
The curriculum tables that follow list the tentative schedule of courses each quarter.
DAOM Year I
Fall
| AM7102 | Neurobiology and Medical Management of Pain | 2 |
| AM7105 | Introduction to Case Study Writing | 0.5 |
| AM7203 | Survey of Biomedical Diagnosis and Evaluation Lecture/Lab | 5 |
| AM7825 | Preceptorship 1 | 1 |
| AM8401 | Structural Integration and Pain Relief Lecture/Lab | 2 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 10.5 |
Winter
| AM7121 | Biostatistics | 1 |
| AM7122 | Applied Research Methods | 2 |
| AM7123 | Reading Research 1 | 1 |
| AM7317 | Trigger and Motor Points | 1.5 |
| AM7800 | Clinical Supervision | 1 |
| AM7832 | Preparation for Clinical Internship | 1 |
| AM7826 | Preceptorship 2 | 1 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 8.5 |
Spring
| AM7107 | Capstone Development 1 | 1 |
| AM7118 | Chinese Classics and Pain | 1.5 |
| AM7130 | Recent Research | 1 |
| AM7312 | Laser and Electro-Acupuncture | 1.5 |
| AM7319 | Orthopedics and Sports Acupuncture 1 Upper Body Lecture/Lab | 2 |
| AM7801 | Clinical Case Discussions 1 | 0.5 |
| AM7817 | Internship 1 | 1.0 |
| AM7827 | Preceptorship 3 | 1 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 9.5 |
Summer
| AM7124 | Acupuncture Classics in Pain | 1.5 |
| AM7321 | Orthopedics and Sports Acupuncture 2 Lower Body Lecture/Lab | 2 |
| AM7322 | Master Tung's Points and Balance Method Lecture/Lab | 2 |
| AM7828 | Preceptorship 4 | 1 |
| AM7833 | Internship 2 | 2 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 8.5 |
DAOM Year II
Fall
| AM7316 | Auricular Acupuncture and Other Microsystems | 1.5 |
| AM7834 | Internship 3 | 2 |
| AM8107 | Capstone Development 2 | 1.0 |
| AM8325 | Advanced Tui Na for Pain Lecture/Lab | 1.5 |
| AM8409 | Pain Conditions of Internal Medicine | 2 |
| AM8801 | Clinical Case Discussions 2 | 0.5 |
| AM8802 | Clinical Applications Lab 1 | 0.5 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 9.0 |
Winter
| AM8105 | Exercise Physiology | 0.75 |
| AM8117 | Psychology, Emotion and Trauma in the Pain Equation Lecture/Lab | 2 |
| AM8118 | Case Publication | 1 |
| AM8316 | Arthritis and Rheumatology | 0.75 |
| AM8412 | Point Injection Therapy Lecture/Lab | 2 |
| AM8803 | Clinical Case Discussions 3 | 0.5 |
| AM8831 | Internship 4 | 2 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 9.00 |
Spring
| AM8318 | Oncology and Autoimmune Conditions | 2 |
| AM8326 | Japanese Acupuncture Techniques for Pain Lecture/Lab | 2 |
| AM8813 | Internship 5 | 1.0 |
| AM8826 | China Externship | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 9.0 |
Students are required to complete either
AM8826 or
AM8830 Integrative Care Rotation
Summer
| AM8110 | Capstone Presentation | 1 |
| AM8319 | Pediatrics and Gerontology | 2 |
| AM8320 | Chinese Herbs for External Application | 0.5 |
| AM8402 | Nutrition, Botanicals and Supplements | 2 |
| AM8410 | Bleeding Techniques | 0.5 |
| AM8411 | Scalp Acupuncture | 0.5 |
| AM8804 | Clinical Applications Lab 2 | 0.5 |
| AM8814 | Internship 6 | 1.0 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 8.0 |
Total Requirements
| |
Total Credits |
Total Clock Hours |
| Total Core Course Credits |
54 |
698.5 |
| Total Pre-requisites/Corequisites |
3 |
33 |
| Total Clinic Credits |
18 |
504 |
| Total Requirements |
75 |
1235.5 |
Curriculum and course changes in the 2021-2022 Bastyr University Catalog are applicable to students entering during the 2021-2022 academic year. Please refer to the appropriate catalog if interested in curriculum and courses required for any other entering year.
For tuition information check here
Academic Status and Graduation Requirements
Evaluation of didactic and clinical competency achievement for each course in the program is conducted online via Bastyr’s learning management system. The evaluative tool is at the discretion of each instructor and could include an exam, paper, a homework assignment, a relevant case history, a presentation, etc.
Student competencies are assessed each quarter on a scale of H/AC/PC/F/IP/I. For full explanation of each grade please refer to Grading Policies.
The final capstone should be submitted to the capstone committee one month prior to the end of the intended graduation quarter. Students must adhere to DAOM Capstone Thesis Manual guidelines. Students whose capstones are not accepted by the end of the submission quarter may be enrolled in and charged for Capstone Continuation.
To graduate, DAOM students must complete at least two thirds of their credits (48 quarter credits) in residence at Bastyr University including all clinical credits. They must also complete their degree requirements within four years and graduate with good academic standing.
Attendance
Attendance is required for all courses and clinic rotations. One hundred percent of clinical hours and laboratory credits must be completed in person. A student missing up to 10 percent of class time must coordinate with the faculty to make up the material. If a student knows in advance that more than 10 percent of a course will be missed or if a course is missed due to an emergency the student must submit a proposal or request for incomplete form to the instructor and program director with a plan for course completion that could include a formal directed study plan. The proposal or form is then filled with registrar's office. Courses missed for any reason without prior notice may result in failure (F), delayed graduation and additional tuition. Absences due to personal travel choices are not considered excused absences. Students are required to attend all portions of a given course unless granted an excused absence by the instructor; if an excused absence is granted, the student will work with the instructor to make up the missed coursework. If the absence is not excused, an F will be given, and the course repeated. The need to repeat a course in this weekend modular program may delay progress toward graduation.
Due to the modular structure and difficulty of rescheduling missed work, the limit on excused absences for didactic courses is the hourly equivalent of four days per DAOM academic year, 32 hours total. The limit on excused absences for clinical internship is one third of the quarter's required hours. Internship hours must be made up to total 100 percent of the curriculum hours. One hundred percent attendance is required for the Integrated Care Rotation or China Externship. If missed hours exceed these limits, academic program change, delayed graduation and/or extra tuition may result.