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ContentsACCREDITATION AND AUTHORIZATION 2AOMA’S GREEN VALUES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2LEGAL NOTICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2BOARD OF GOVERNORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3INTRODUCTION TO AOMA . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Welcome! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Vision, Mission, Core Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Accreditation and Affiliations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Campus Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Distance Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11PROGRAM INFORMATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13The MAcCHM Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14MAcCHM Program at a Glance . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16The DAcCHM Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18DAcCHM Program at a Glance . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20DAcCHM Completion Track at a Glance . . . . . 22The DAOM Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23DAOM Program at a Glance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Certificate in Chinese Herbal MedicineProgram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28Introduction to Chinese Medicine Series . . . . . 29Admissions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30International Applicants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31MAcCHM Transfer Students from Schools ofAcupuncture and Herbal Medicine . . . . . . . . . . 31Admissions Deadlines: 2022-23 Cohorts . . . . . 32POLICIES & FINANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34Continuous Enrollment and Attendance . . . . . 34Student Conduct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34Student Immunization Requirement . . . . . . . . . 34ADA Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34Campus Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35Continuing Education (CE) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention Program . 35Copyrighted Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35Fairness Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35Written Student Complaints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35Privacy of Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35Withdrawal from the Program . . . . . . . . . . . 35Tuition and Fees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35Financial Aid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37Program Disclosures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37Technology Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38COURSE DESCRIPTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39MAcCHM Acupuncture Studies AndChinese Medicine Fundamentals . . . . . . . . . . . . 40Asian Bodywork Therapy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42Mind-Body Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42Herbal Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44Biomedical Sciences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45MAcCHM Integral Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47MAcCHM Clinical Internship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48Other MAcCHM and DAcCHM CurricularRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49Doctoral Core Courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49Integrative Practice Curriculum . . . . . . . . . . . . 50Specialty of Practice Curriculum . . . . . . . . . . . . 50Inquiry Curriculum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51Leadership Curriculum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52DAcCHM-Specific Coursework . . . . . . . . . . . . 52Doctoral Advanced Clinical Practice . . . . . . . . 52FACULTY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54Full-Time Faculty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55Adjunct Faculty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55Guest Lecturers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57STUDENT SERVICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58Student Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59AOMA Student Association . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60China Study Abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60Academic Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60Extracurricular Classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60Southwest Symposium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60Career Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60Practice Management Fieldwork . . . . . . . . . . . . 60ACADEMIC CALENDAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61AOMA Program Catalog 2022-234

“A tree as great asa man’s embracesprings from a smallshoot; a terrace ninestories high beginswith a pile of earth;a journey of athousand miles startsunder one’s feet.”– DAO D E J I N G , C H A P TE R 6 4AOMA Program Catalog 2022-235

G R A D U AT E P R O G R A M C ATA L O G 2 0 2 2 - 2 3Introduction toAOMATHIS SECTIONWelcome!7Vision, Mission,Core Values7Accreditation andAffiliations8Campus Resources8Distance Education9HistoryAdministration9116

Introduction toAOMAAOMA offers a master’s-level graduate program inacupuncture with a Chinese herbal medicine specialization as well as a first professional doctorateof acupuncture with a Chinese herbal medicinespecialization, preparing its students for careersas skilled, professional practitioners. AOMA alsooffers an advanced practice doctorate of acupuncture and Oriental medicine, focused on the care andmanagement of pain and associated psychosocialphenomena. Additionally, there is a non-degreeseeking introduction to Chinese medicine series anda certificate in traditional Chinese herbal medicine.AOMA is known for its international faculty, comprehensive clinicalinternship program, and robust herbal medicine program. Since itsfounding in 1993, AOMA has grown in size and reputation, drawingstudents and faculty from around the nation and the world.WELCOME!Dear AOMA student,My personal thanks to you for choosing AOMA for this critical nextstep in your journey as you pursue study in the healing profession oftraditional Chinese medicine. Our mission at AOMA is to transformlives and communities through education, patient care, leadership,and research in Chinese and other integrative medicines. We are amission-driven organization and feel that your success as a studentcomes first and foremost as we develop as an organization committedto advancing this field. AOMA’s leadership, faculty, and staff are veryclear that we are here to serve you, to teach you, to learn from you,often developing relationships that continue to support you and growwith you throughout your professional life. I am honored to be a partof AOMA and am inspired each day by the depth of knowledge of ourtalented faculty and our students’ passion for learning.These are exciting times in healthcare. The health of Americansand people throughout the world, is challenged by a crisis levelof chronic disease occurring at an alarming rate and at an everyounger age. In response to this challenge, patients are seeking out amultitude of approaches to improve their health, including physicians,pharmaceuticals, diet changes, nutritional therapy, exercise, bodywork, supplements, acupuncture, herbal medicine, massage therapy,and more. In spite of patient access to expert care providers,healthcare delivery remains fragmented at best. Healthcareproviders must develop more effective means to collaborate andcoordinate care delivery.At AOMA we remain committed to leadership in the transformationof care delivery by integrating and coordinating healthcare servicesamong providers to best meet patient needs and enhance theeducational experience of our students. This will take new patientcentered partnerships with healthcare providers, new informationsharing arrangements between providers, and enhanced trainingopportunities for our students to optimize their future success. Asour vision states, we are committed to being a leader in acupunctureand traditional Chinese medicine and other integrative medicinesby engaging with our community. We look forward to a new worldof healthcare delivery for the sake of our patients and our students.Thank you for seeking us out, and I welcome you to AOMA.Warmly,Mary Faria, PhDPresident and Chief Executive OfficerVISIONAOMA’s vision is to be a leader in Chinese and other integrativemedical education by engaging our communities and by preparingcompassionate and skilled practitioners who embody the art andspirit of healing.MISSIONThe mission of AOMA is to transform lives and communitiesthrough education, patient care, leadership, and research in Chineseand other integrative medicines.CORE VALUESWe recognize that the outcomes we produce result from thecollective activities of the AOMA community. We are committed toact in ways that are consistent with the following core values: Sustainability: Our programs and community engagements aresustainable and effective.AOMA Program Catalog 2022-237

Integrity: We do what we say we will do. In our communication,we are honest and complete. Inspiration: We are called into action by a spirit of purposeful aliveness. Flexibility and openness: We conscientiously choose our actions inconsideration of all the parties involved. Professionalism: In all that we do, we are impeccable, clear, andcomplete. Compassion and service: In word and action, we look foropportunities to benefit others.ACCREDITATION AND AFFILIATIONSAOMA is accredited with the Southern Association of Colleges andSchools Commission on Colleges to award master’s and doctoraldegrees. AOMA Graduate School of Integrative Medicine’s master’s- level program in acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine(MAcCHM), certificate in traditional Chinese herbal medicine,professional doctor of acupuncture with Chinese herbal medicinespecialization (DAcCHM), and advanced practice doctoral (DAOM)program are accredited by the Accreditation Commission forAcupuncture and Herbal Medicine (ACAHM).AOMA is approved by the Texas and California AcupunctureBoards and is authorized to offer the master’s and doctoral degreeprograms by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.Please see the inside front cover for the full, legal statementsconcerning the above accreditations and authorizations.AOMA’s Asian bodywork therapy courses are approved bythe American Organization for Bodywork Therapies of Asia(AOBTA ). AOMA is certified by the U.S. Department ofEducation to participate in the Title IV Federal Student Aid (FSA)program. AOMA’s FSA funds are provided by the William D.Ford Federal Direct Loan Program (also known as Direct Loans).AOMA’s master’s degree program is approved by the VeteransAdministration for education benefits under the Post 9/11 andMontgomery G.I. Bill programs. AOMA is also an approved vendorof the Texas Workforce Commission Vocational RehabilitationServices, formerly known as the Texas Department of Assistive andRehabilitative Services (DARS).AOMA maintains a number of institutional memberships andaffiliations, including the Council of Colleges of Acupuncture andHerbal Medicine (CCAHM), the Texas Association of Acupunctureand Oriental Medicine (TAAOM), the American Society ofAcupuncturists (ASA), the Academic Collaborative for IntegrativeHealth (ACIH), the Society for Acupuncture Research (SAR), andthe American Botanical Council (ABC).Professional LicensureAOMA graduates of the Master of Acupuncture with Chinese HerbalMedicine Specialization are eligible for licensure in all states with anacupuncture practice act, as well as the District of Columbia. As ofJanuary 2022, the only states that do not license acupuncturists areAlabama, Oklahoma, and South Dakota.National CertificationAOMA graduates are qualified to sit for the national boardexaminations administered by the National CertificationCommission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM).Most states require NCCAOM certification for licensure.California Licensure RequirementsIn order to be eligible to take the California licensure examination,MAcCHM graduates who enroll in the program must also havecompleted 15 credits in basic sciences, as follows: three creditseach in these courses (either as pre-requisite to admission, oras electives prior to graduation)—general biology, chemistry(including organic and biochemistry), general physics (includinga survey of biophysics), general psychology, and pathology. Oncecompleted, these courses will be listed on a student’s transcript as“T” for California licensing verification.CAMPUS RESOURCESWith its classrooms, clinic, library, and administrative offices nestledin a quiet group of natural stone buildings in south Austin, the AOMAcampus offers students many opportunities for learning, socializing,and reflecting. The facilities include six classrooms of varying sizes toaccommodate larger lecture classes and smaller techniques classes,including one classroom with a collection of more than 300 individualChinese herbs for sensory study of the Chinese herbal pharmacopeia.Each classroom is equipped with a digital projector, Chinese andbiomedical learning aids, document cameras, overhead cameras forlive streaming, and treatment tables. Wireless Internet access isavailable from all points on campus.AOMA’s campus facilities also include a 2,000 square foot MindBody Center with a large movement room where taiji and qigongclasses are conducted, a quiet study room within the library, and astudent lounge for student use. The Mind-Body Center is availablefor student practice when classes are not in session.AOMA maintains a system of student intern clinics throughout theAustin area, ensuring a diverse clinical education for AOMA’s students.The North and South AOMA Student Intern Clinics offer acupunctureand Chinese herbal treatments to patients in a conventionalacupuncture medical clinic setting. In these clinics, students learn aspart of a treatment team, working with a clinic partner and facultysupervisor to develop the best plan for each patient. At both of theseclinics, students access the resources provided by the AOMA HerbalMedicine dispensary to prepare herbal formulas for their patients.Prior to graduation, MAcCHM student-interns complete clinic shiftsin one or more of AOMA’s community clinics located in Westernmedical facilities that serve Austin’s veteran, under-insured andlow-income populations. These clinics give AOMA students a uniqueopportunity to participate in a collaborative medical environment.Students also have the option of interning or observing at “Cureville,”a seasonal, rural, urgent care clinic offering free acupunctureand Chinese medicine services to the staff and volunteers of theKerrville Folk Festival. Advanced student interns have the option ofchoosing from other specialty clinical opportunities to prepare forprofessional practice after graduation. These may include practicein off-site integrated clinics for treatment of pain or addictions, orspecialized practice for treatment of pediatrics, women’s health,or sports medicine, or preparing for a fast-paced practice, such asmanaging two rooms at once without a partner.In support of student learning outcomes, AOMA has built one ofthe richest Chinese medicine library collections in the United States.The library, located on the AOMA campus, offers students accessto more than 10,000 specialty books, periodicals, professionaljournals, original Chinese language medical journals, and audio andAOMA Program Catalog 2022-238

video resources. The library also maintains a subscription to theEBSCO database service, through which AOMA students, faculty,and alumni have access to more than 1,700 medical journals andother professional publications. Library resources include a quietstudy room, a video viewing station, and a computer lab wherestudents may access the library’s online catalog system. The libraryalso maintains a non-circulating collection of required and/orrecommended texts for courses within the graduate programs.The AOMA campus is located south of downtown Austin andis easily accessed by car, public transit, and bicycle. Parking isavailable on campus. The campus facilities neighbor a variety of localbusinesses, including restaurants and cafes. Three city parks anda swimming pool are within walking or biking distance of campus,including the Sunset Valley Nature Area. The surrounding residentialneighborhoods offer varied options for student housing, with manytypes of apartment homes and rental properties available nearby.DISTANCE EDUCATIONDuring the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2022), the majority ofAOMA’s educational activities moved to online platforms. Withina few months, safety protocols were developed, and studentsreturned to campus for hands-on practical and clinical training.Didactic coursework has continued online, until such a time that oncampus activities can be safely held at full capacity.AOMA is now approved for distance education by both SACSCOC(September 2020) and ACAHM (March 2021). When the pandemicwaivers are rescinded, AOMA will continue to offer a selection ofcourses online and/or in a hybrid model with a mix of online and inperson educational activities.HISTORYSince its founding in 1993, AOMA has grown by every importantquantitative and qualitative measure, including its student body,faculty, accreditation status, campus facilities, patients served, andcommunity outreach. 1993: AOMA was founded as the Texas Acupuncture Instituteand enrolled its first class of 16 students in the Master ofAcupuncture and Oriental Medicine (MAc) 1995: Campus established in North Austin 1996: Accreditation with the Accreditation Commission forAcupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAHM) 1996: Approval by the Texas State Board of AcupunctureExaminers (TSBAE) 1996: First class graduated 1997: Recognition by the Texas Rehabilitation Commission andthe California Acupuncture Board 1997: Approval for veteran’s education 1998: Participation in Title IV Federal Student Aid programs 2005: William R. Morris, PhD inaugurated as AOMA’s thirdpresident 2009: Granted regional accreditation by the Commission onColleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools(SACS-COC) 2011: Opened new campus in south Austin; SACS-COCapproved AOMA’s substantive change request to move fromlevel III to level V in order to offer doctoral degree programs 2012: ACAHM approved AOMA’s offering of the Doctor ofAcupuncture and Oriental Medicine (DAOM) 2013: DAOM program enrolled first cohortAOMA Program Catalog 2022-239

2014: Achieved reaffirmation of accreditation with SACS-COC,as well as confirmation of level change from a level III institution(master’s degree granting) to a level V institution (doctoraldegree granting) 2015: Achieved accreditation candidacy with ACAHM for theDAOM 2016: Betty Edmond, MD inaugurated as AOMA’s fourthpresident 2016: The professional doctoral program (DAcCHM) enrolled itsfirst cohort 2017: Achieved reaffirmation of accreditation for the MAcCHMwith ACAHM 2018: Mary Faria, PhD inaugurated as CEO and acting president 2019: Achieved accreditation for the DAOM program fromACAHM 2019: Submitted initial accreditation application for theprofessional doctorate with ACAHM 2019: Submitted initial accreditation application for theprofessional doctorate with ACAHM 2020: Submitted fifth-year interim accreditation report to SACSCOC 2020: Received approval of the professional doctoral application(DAcCHM) from ACAHM 2020: Change of degree names and designations for the Masterof Acupuncture with a Chinese herbal medicine specialization(MAcCHM) and the Doctor of Acupuncture with a Chineseherbal medicine specialization (DAcCHM) in accordance withACAHM’s new requirements 2020: Dr. Faria assumed permanent role as CEO and President 2020: Acceptance of Fifth Year Interim Report by SACS-COC 2020: Approval for Distance Education by SACS- COC 2020: Piloted implementation of new distance education learningmanagement system 2021: Approval for offering Distance Education by ACAHM 2022: ACAHM grants seven-year re-accreditation to MAcCHM,DAOM and CCHM programs 2022: ACAHM grants initial accreditation to DAcCHM andDAcCHM completion trackConsistent with its strategic plan, AOMA is committed tocollaborating with other educational institutions and healthcareproviders. Indeed, AOMA’s collaborations have gone a long waytoward shaping and enhancing both the education offered to itsstudents and the healthcare services offered to the Austin community. 2001: Began offering acupuncture and Chinese medical servicesat the Kerrville Folk Festival 2004: Expanded community clinic offerings to include free-ofcharge acupuncture services at People’s Community Clinic 2006: Collaboration with the Seton Family of Hospitals beginswith an acupuncture clinic inside the Seton Topfer CommunityClinic (2006-2017) 2008: Participated in the conception and design of the SetonFamily of Hospitals’ GoodHealth Commons IntegrativeWellness and Education Center, where student interns offeredacupuncture clinical services (2008–2011) 2011: Increased services to low-income communities in Austinthrough participation in the Seton McCarthy Community HealthCenters 2013: Offered acupuncture services at Austin Pain Associates(2013–2015) 2014: Offered acupuncture services at Austin Recovery inresidence campus in Buda (2014-2020) 2016: Signed affiliation agreement with the VeteransAdministration to offer acupuncture services at the AustinVeterans Administration Outpatient Clinic 2016: Increased services to low-income communities in Austinthrough participation in the Seton Kozmetsky CommunityHealth Centers (2016-2017) 2017: Offered services for veterans at the VeteransAdministration’s Austin Outpatient Clinic 2019: Offered Services at Texas Neuro Rehab’s Texas StarRecovery Center (April-October 2019) 2020: Student intern provided services suspended at People’sCommunity Clinic, Seton McCarthy Community Clinic, AustinRecovery, and Veterans Administration’s Austin OutpatientClinic due to the onset of the novel COVID-19 pandemic 2021: Student intern provided services reinstated at People’sCommunity Clinic, Seton McCarthy Community Clinic, andVeterans Administration’s Austin Outpatient Clinic 2021: Signed partnership agreement with Jiangsu ProvincialHospital of Tradit

University in 2009, and a doctorate in acupuncture and Oriental medicine (DAOM) at the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine (PCOM) in 2014. While working on his doctorate, Dr. Garrison continued his acupuncture and herbal medicine practice in an integrative clinic, taught Chinese herbal medicine at Five Branches University, and worked as an herbal