Doctorate in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (DAOM)

Doctoral Program in Integrative Medicine (DAOM)

An Executive Program for Working Professionals

Attend Just 1 Weekend Per Month                             

DAOM Residency Dates 2022-2025

Why the Advanced Practice Doctorate or DAOM degree?

The Doctor of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine (DAOM) is the most advanced degree in the field of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the terminal degree. The purpose of Yo San University’s DAOM program is to broaden and deepen the knowledge and skills of our students in Asian and Integrative Medicine by way of instruction, scholarly activity, research, clinical specialization and practice, resulting in enhanced competencies in patient assessment, diagnosis, treatment intervention and integrative patient-centered care.

Doctoral candidates are encouraged to embrace their core knowledge, expand their understanding and active practice of all aspects of Asian Medicine including acupuncture, herbal medicine, Qi cultivation and nutrition. The DAOM program at Yo San University also seeks to strengthen candidates’ understanding of biomedical sciences while assisting candidates to develop relationships with other healthcare providers for professional collaboration and scholarly endeavors. By imparting and supporting critical thinking and lifelong learning, the DAOM program at Yo San University strives to cultivate superior practitioners, scholars, teachers and leaders in the fields of Integrative medicine, acupuncture, and herbal Medicine.

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EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES

Graduates of Yo San University’s Doctor of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine program are able to:

• Demonstrate advanced knowledge in all aspects of Asian Medicine including acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, Qi cultivation and nutrition;
• Demonstrate advanced knowledge of biomedical sciences relevant to their chosen clinical specialty and practice;
• Apply critical thinking and advanced clinical reasoning in patient assessment, diagnosis and treatment intervention within their chosen specialty;
• Integrate evidence-based biomedicine to acupuncture and herbal Medicine practice to provide holistic and truly integrative patient-centered care;
• Demonstrate ability to work collaboratively with other healthcare providers in multi-disciplinary settings;
• Apply the principles of scientific inquiry to research and scholarly activities;
• Demonstrate leadership skills in the acupuncture and herbal Medicine profession; and
• Show evidence of life-long learning through professional growth and the continued pursuit of excellence.

PROGRAM OF STUDY 

The two-year DAOM program in integrative Medicine at Yo San University is designed for acupuncturists who are interested in advancing their Traditional Chinese Medicine knowledge and skills, learning the intricacies of a clinical specialization, as well as developing the skills needed to conduct research or participate in research studies. Doctoral candidates have a unique opportunity to study with expert faculty in their chosen clinical specialty.

The University’s innovative DAOM program emphasizes collaboration in clinical settings by providing rigorous training in advanced concepts of TCM and biomedicine, and promoting the dynamic relationship between TCM and Biomedicine. By integrating biomedical science and TCM, the program aims to produce extraordinary practitioners, scholars, teachers and leaders in the field.

The YSU DAOM program is 1,220 hours in length, comprising of 570 didactic hours and 650 clinical hours. DAOM courses are offered once per month during a 3-day weekend intensive with a flexible clinical training schedule, allowing practitioners to earn a doctorate degree in 24 months while maintaining their private practices.

CORE CURRICULUM COURSES

Core curriculum courses are designed to equip doctoral candidates with information, processes, research tools, and perspectives to enrich their specialization studies, to aid in professional development and to enhance professional relationships.

INTEGRATIVE SPECIALTIES

The YSU DAOM program presently offers two (2) specialization options: Healthy Aging & Internal Medicine and/or Women’s Health & Reproductive Medicine. Potential DAOM candidates will be required to select their desired clinical specialty at the time of application for admission to the DAOM program. 

Specialization courses provide doctoral candidates opportunities to acquire advanced knowledge in their chosen clinical specialty over the full two (2) years of the DAOM program. By participating in advanced coursework in TCM and biomedicine, doctoral candidates apply increasingly complex approaches to their specialty study through the integration of specialized curriculum, research findings and clinical experiences. Classes meet during a 3-day weekend every month, comprising 2.5 days of classroom lectures and a half-day of clinical training. 

Healthy Aging & Longevity: 

Enhance your Traditional Chinese Medicine knowledge and credentials, and gain valuable insight into integrative medicine practices. With continued training and mentorships, you will become an invaluable member of your community healthcare network. Having authored your own original scholarly work detailing your research, you’ll graduate with the confidence to prevent, diagnose and treat a vast array of complex conditions including: Cardiology, Orthopedics, Immunology, Pediatrics, Gastroenterology and Nutrition.

Women’s Health & Reproductive Medicine:

This two-year clinical doctorate specialty, the Nation's first, integrates advanced Western and Eastern diagnostics and treatment protocols for the effective management of men’s and women’s reproductive health dysfunctions and disorders. Didactic and clinical instruction highlights the specialized treatment of such conditions as hormonal imbalances, menstrual disorders, endometriosis, infertility, erectile dysfunction, prostate diseases, urological and nutritional disorders, ectopic pregnancy and miscarriage.

ADVANCED Clinical Education

DAOM candidates receive advanced clinical training in their area of specialty by attending the program’s specialty focused clinics and developing individual and customized plans for their clinical training experiences.

Opportunities for externships, mentorships and preceptorships include, but are not limited to the following:

• Clinical Internships at Yo San University Blount Community Clinic
• Clinical Externships at specialized clinics and hospitals in the local area
• China Externships at universities and hospitals in China
• Mentorship programs with experienced senior practitioners and faculty in the field
• Preceptorships programs with focus on education or academic administration
• Specialty grand rounds

CAPSTONE Research Project

The Capstone Research Project is an integral component of the YSU DAOM program. Each doctoral candidate is required to propose and complete a capstone research project and present their respective project at the Dissertation Conference as part of the DAOM program requirement. Candidates are introduced to evidence-based medicine and current TCM research, and participate in a critical review of select current TCM and biomedical research.

The Capstone Research Project are developed out of the candidates’ chosen field of specialization. This project demonstrates the doctoral candidate’s mastery and synthesis of knowledge and skills in critical thinking, scientific inquiry, clinical practice, and research. By the end of the third trimester of the program, candidates submit a written proposal outlining their research plan to the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at Yo San University for review and approval. At the end of the program, doctoral candidates present and defend their capstone research project to a panel of faculty, visiting specialists and to peers in their DAOM cohort. During the Dissertation Defense, DAOM candidates address questions raised by the dissertation panel; demonstrating their understanding and mastery of their selected research topic, research methodology, supporting scientific evidence and literature, and implications of the findings of their capstone research project.

THE FIRST ACADEMIC YEAR

In the first academic year, DAOM candidates begin their studies in both core curriculum content such as research, professional development, advanced diagnosis and treatments, and advanced courses associated with their chosen area of specialty. Candidates develop their capstone research project proposals and receive IRB approval, as well as begin their clinical training in the Yo San Blount Community Clinic and other approved mentorship sites.

THE SECOND ACADEMIC YEAR

DAOM candidates continue their studies with the focus on specialty area concentrations, continued advanced clinical training, submittal and defense of their capstone research project at the Dissertation Conference and graduating with the Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine degree.