Acupuncture

Duties and Responsibilities: The stimulation of specific acupuncture points along the skin of the body involving various methods such as penetration by thin needles or the application of heat, pressure, or laser light. Traditional acupuncture involves needle insertion and cupping therapy. It is a form of complementary and alternative medicine and a key component of traditional Chinese medicine. According to TCM, stimulating specific acupuncture points corrects imbalances in the flow of it through channels known as meridians. Acupuncture aims to treat a range of conditions, though is most commonly used for pain relief. Doctors of acupuncture use implements such as herbs and needles to restore the energy flow. This course on herbs and health can give you an idea about natural medicine to supplement acupuncture.

Salary: $75,000-$80,000

Education: You will need the equivalent of a Bachelor’s degree to begin a career and start earning as an acupuncturist in a regionally accredited college or university. You can major in a subject range as long as you include six hours in your semester for biochemistry, chemistry or biology, which is a prerequisite for Master’s program applications. To become certified, you will need to enroll in a master’s program that the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine has accredited. The required curriculum for acupuncture students include courses in ethics and practice management, counseling, biomedical science, treatment and diagnosis techniques and oriental medical theory.

 Reflection: This career won’t be one that I would like to wake up in the morning to go do. It honestly seems boring because to me all you’re doing is poking a person with a needle to heal them. What if an exscinded was to happen and I was to puncher something else? Plus it’s a very long process of education and to find a job because only 23 states allow this kind of process and the fact that it’s not legal in other states makes it seem as not a good career you would want to choose.