§ 18.13. Requirements for licensure as an acupuncturist.
(a) The Board will license as an acupuncturist a person who satisfies the following requirements:
(1) Has successfully completed an acupuncture educational program which includes a course in needle sterilization techniques.
(2) Has been certified by NCCAOM or has obtained a passing grade on the NCCAOM examination component in acupuncture and sterilization procedures, its successor examination or other equivalent Board-approved examination. The Board will make available a list of successor or other equivalent Board-approved examinations on its web site. If the examination was not taken in English, but is otherwise acceptable and a passing score was secured, the Board will accept the examination result if the applicant has also demonstrated English language proficiency by one of the following methods:
(i) The applicant’s acupuncture educational program was conducted in English.
(ii) The applicant has achieved a scaled score of at least 83 on the TOEFL® Internet-based test (IBT), a 220 for the TOEFL® computer-based test (CBT) or a 550 on the TOEFL® paper based test (PBT) or an equivalent score on a successor examination of the TOEFL®. The Board will make available a list of Board-approved successor examinations on its web site.
(iii) The applicant has achieved a score of at least 350 on each of the four sub-tests of the OET for any of the health-related professions.
(iv) The applicant has achieved a passing score on an English language proficiency examination, equivalent to the TOEFL® or OET, as determined by the Board. The Board will make available a list of equivalent Board-approved English language proficiency examinations on its web site.
(b) The Board will license as an acupuncturist a medical doctor who satisfies the following requirements:
(1) Has successfully completed 200 hours of training in acupuncture medical programs including examinations required by those programs.
(2) Submits an application to register as an acupuncturist accompanied by the required fee as provided under § 16.13 (relating to licensure, certification, examination and registration fees).
(c) [Reserved].
Authority The provisions of this § 18.13 amended under section 3 of the Acupuncture Licensure Act (63 P.S. § 1803); section 8 of the Medical Practice Act of 1985 (63 P.S. § 422.8); and 23 Pa.C.S. § 6383(b)(2).
Source The provisions of this § 18.13 adopted January 2, 1987, effective immediately and applies retroactively to December 31, 1986, 17 Pa.B. 24; amended May 19, 1989, effective May 20, 1989, 19 Pa.B. 2161; amended April 13, 2007, effective April 14, 2007, 37 Pa.B. 1644; amended January 8, 2010, effective January 9, 2010, 40 Pa.B. 250; amended March 25, 2022, effective March 26, 2022, 52 Pa.B. 1899; amended September 15, 2023, effective September 16, 2023, 53 Pa.B. 5759. Immediately preceding text appears at serial page (409189).
Cross References This section cited in 49 Pa. Code § 5.81 (relating to unprofessional and immoral conduct); and 49 Pa. Code § 18.13a (relating to requirements for licensure as a practitioner of Oriental medicine).
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