First Degree Entry Level Professional Doctorate

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Hi All,

 

I originally wrote these thoughts as a response to 's comments on the

Liberty U

– PhD thread, but due to time and challenges, wasn't able to post - so

here it is as a

new thread...

 

While advanced degrees, if they provide depth and rigor, are helpful, the

benefit that the

profession as a whole derives from these programs is minimal when compared to

the

value of all new practitioners entering the profession coming in at a

first-degree entry-

level professional doctorate.

 

The California Acupuncture Board discussed this subject in detail at its last

strategic

planning session, and recognizes that the proliferation of many types of

doctorates is a

problem that is effectively dealt with by the creation of a first-degree

entry-level

professional doctorate. While the issue came up that hours were significantly

increased up

to 3,000 a little over 2 years ago, most of the students that I've talked to

here at my

school, AIMC Berkeley (currently at 3,398 hours), would willingly do the 2 extra

trimesters

that this doctorate will probably come in at.

 

While our school currently focuses only on a highly developed entry level M.S.

program,

there is pressure to develop a DAOM that comes mainly from the positive PR

exposure of

having a doctorate program, as opposed to the number of participants/financial

viability.

A more ideal scenario for us would be an entry level doctorate into which our

program

could evolve.

 

As for the DAOM, at the last AAOM conference in AZ, Howard Simmons, Chair of

ACAOM,

was very clear about the role of the DAOM - its a post-graduate degree, and will

remain so

after the entry-level doctorate is established.

 

At the conference, there was also an extremely interesting panel presentation on

the

viability of the entry-level doctorate by the CCAOM. Amazingly (historically

speaking),

there was a lot of genuine excitement and enthusiasm for it. Mark Seem gave an

excellent

presentation on the paths that different professions have used to advance, and

it appears

that the path of the Physical Therapist's (PT's) is one that we will most likely

emulate,

particularly with the mechanisms for grandfathering current LAc's up to the

doctorate

level.

 

In a nutshell, what the PT's did was to require those currently practicing to

complete an

additional 21 proscribed units in order to receive a TDPT - transitional

doctorate in

physical therapy (as opposed to a straight DPT for newly graduated students).

There are

also challenge exams for those who want to demonstrate they already have

proficiency in

the proscribed units.

 

My sense is that the path for LAc's will be similar, and that this will be an

additional option

for those considering an advanced degree in AOM, if they have the patience to

wait for it

(my guess - 2-4 years in CA). For those that want more, there is always the DAOM

and

other add-on PhD programs.

 

Benjamin Dierauf, LAc, MS