City: Santa Fe, NM

Category: Health Care

Telephone: (505) 438-8880

Address: 1622 Galisteo

Description: Operating from Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and Boulder, Colorado, campuses, Southwest Acupuncture College offers a Master’s of Science in Oriental Medicine with extensive national accreditation. Enrollment is open to students age 20 and older who have successfully completed two years of general education at the college level. According to the school’s guidelines, they must also possess the “personal credentials and intellectual skills” to obtain admission. The academic program consists of more than 2,800 hours of training in the five branches of classical Oriental medicine: acupuncture, herbal medicine, physical therapy, nutrition, and exercise/breathing therapy.Since its inception in 1980, the for-profit college reports that its graduates have achieved an unsurpassed passage rate on all state and national exams. The preponderance of the curriculum takes a hands-on and clinical approach. Students locate acupuncture points, practice techniques, develop diagnoses and treatment plans, prepare herbal formulas, and observe and treat patients. In addition to the master’s program, the college offers continuing-education classes in specialty topics, seminars with international experts, and externships in China. To help students become proficient, the school operates an active low-cost teaching clinic by appointment. Call for hours and other details.