What are the main disadvantages of acupuncture training?

Acupuncturists are able to influence the internal organs via the acupuncture points. With the help of diagnostics based on traditional Chinese medicine, they stimulate the energetic points - usually with needles (but also with fingers, sticks or low-frequency electricity).

The main disadvantages of acupuncture training are:

  1. The qualification following acupuncture training is not federal. TCM specialist training with a diploma and at least 1,200 learning hours - consisting of medical basics, TCM basics and acupuncture knowledge - enables registration in the EMR (Empirical Medicine Register of Health Insurance Companies). Find out more about the course, the qualification and the associated professional opportunities (e.g. EMR recognition for billing health insurance companies).
  2. At the certificate level, the course content and admission requirements are generally not regulated and can be determined autonomously by the schools. However, in the case of the OdA Alternative Medicine sector certificate in TCM acupuncture/Tuina, there are clear regulations and certified training quality.
  3. Acupuncture training generally takes place alongside work and usually lasts at least three to four years for a diploma course (up to eight years for a federal diploma). During the long training period, good time management is required between work, studies and free time.
  4. Even after completing acupuncture training, the learning doesn't stop: Anyone wishing to work as a qualified naturopath ideally needs to take the Advanced Federal Professional Examination (AFPE) in addition to their training in acupuncture. By the way: only those who complete the entire training as a preparatory course for the Advanced Federal Professional Examination (AFPE) can benefit from federal subsidies.

Graduates of acupuncture training generally work independently, sometimes also employed in therapy centers or joint practices. Basic medical knowledge ensures that the various forms of therapy are recognized by health insurance companies and guarantees responsible professional practice. In more and more cantons, licenses to practice acupuncture are only issued to people who have obtained a federal diploma as a naturopath specializing in TCM.

Provider of acupuncture training