All about qualifications and certification requirements
for the practice of
Auricular Medicine

Maintaining professional standards with understanding of training and practice qualifications.
Requirements to learn vs requirements to practice.
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Standards and criteria to award Continuing Education (CE) credit.

Definitions

Integrative and person-centered care, succeeds when allied healthcare professionals work together. IntegrateAuricular presents continuing education for all — unified around the neural portal of the ear. Discover assessment and treatment methods with the potential to impact efficiency, accessibility, and outcomes, in every field of medical and wellness practice.

If you are new to healthcare or wellness continuing education, it is important to understand the following basic definitions for professional practice.

Course Completion

Documentation of course completion should not be confused with a specific CE award, certification, or license to practice. Documentation is not... 
  • ...a documentation of Continuing Education Units (CEUs) earned. CEU awards are separate, and provided through the approving third-party. 
  • ...a certification or licensure to practice any auricular method (i.e. auricular protocols, Auriculotherapy, Auricular Medicine or otherwise).

Certification

Neither course completion, nor an award of CEUs, are equivalent to certification (e.g. CEUs are are not Certification). Certification (in the mostly unregulated international field of auricular methods) is provided through organizations such as IntegrateAuricular and others. 

Licensure

Licensure is not achieved through certification (e.g. certification is not equivalent to licensure). Licensure for professional practice is regulated on a national and/or state level. Practitioners may practice with certification under the scope of their respective licensure (e.g. certification provides endorsement for licensed practitioners to offer Auricular Medicine as a service following the guidelines for their specific scope of practice).

Prerequisites

Although there are no prerequisites to learn, all learners must meet their local/state/national guidelines to practice. Auricular Medicine (as taught by CIAM, for example) is considered a continuing education activity — a means to integrate auricular into the scope of your licensed practice.

Affirmation by IntegrateAuricular to practice Auricular Medicine (i.e. as provided through CIAM certification), requires completion of a specific prerequisite of courses.

PLEASE NOTE: Neither documentation of course completion nor certification earned through a clinical practicum from IntegrateAuricular and its cooperation schools, offer licensure or certification to practice of any kind. There is no nationally regulated certification process available through any organization to become an “auricular neuromodulation” provider. However, in cooperation with CIAM, IntegrateAuricular affirms that clinical practicum-level training results in the knowledge and skills to apply Auricular Medicine (at the respective certification level). Learners who successfully complete certification may refer to themselves as “knowledgable and skilled in Auricular Medicine” and use this term in their CVs or professional materials to convey their level of knowledge and skill.

IntegrateAuricular is a recognized professional development provider offering training and certification in Auricular Medicine through its cooperation schools, with recognition as an educational resource by the Auriculotherapy Certification Institute (ACI), and endorsement as an independent cooperation school by the German Academy of Acupuncture (Deutsche Akademie für Akupunktur | DAA e.V.) for being a provider of the only systematic training of the DAA program in English worldwide.

Affirm your ability in the clinical application of Auricular Medicine and join a global network of CIAM-certified practitioners!


Recognition as an educational resource by the  Auricular Certification Institute (ACI)

Endorsement as an independent cooperation school of the German Academy for Acupuncture (DAA) 

Approved Professional Development Activity (PDA) provider for NCCAOM

Recognized by the California State Department of Consumer Affairs Acupuncture Board

Recognized provider for MTWPAM- and other manual therapy association approved CEUs (select courses)

Featured as a training provider by device manufacturer for clinical applications in Auricular Medicine
Disclosure: CIAM has staff who independently represent Reimers & Janssen GmbH (RJ Laser) in North America

Frequently Asked Questions

What qualifications must I have to practice Auricular Medicine? 

It is expected that practitioners shall have the necessary training to provide any treatment offered by their practice in accordance with all relevant governing and regulatory guidelines under which they provide such practice. Practitioners may decide to incorporate auricular components from training they may have received without certification. However, there is absolutely no endorsement for practitioners who make claims to practice Auricular Medicine without certification. The Canadian Institute of Auricular Medicine (CIAM), the German Academy for Acupuncture (Deutsche Akademie für Akupunktur | DAA e.V.), the European Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (EATCM), and the Austrian Association for Standardized TCM (ÖGKA) all offer courses recognized for certification in Auricular Medicine (CIAM is an independent cooperation school of the DAA — with independent certification requirements applicable to the standards in North America — and otherwise independent from the institutions listed here).  

Must I be licensed to apply needles (e.g. what other treatment methods can be used)?

You need not be an acupuncturist or otherwise licensed to apply needles. Auricular Medicine lends itself to multiple fields of practice because the ear stimulation required for treatment can be applied — following general disinfection and sterilization guidelines and specific clinical guidelines for your field of practice — using any of the following methods:

Why get CIAM certification? 

Certification affirms your ability in Auricular Medicine as well as your thorough understanding of its clinical applications. Certification shows esteem for the field and for your patients. Patients understand the importance and value of certification and endorsement by an approved continuing education provider such as CIAM with CEU/PDA instruction approved by NCCAOM, the California Board, the College of Massage Therapists and other organizational and commissioning bodies. The Canadian Institute of Auricular Medicine (CIAM), the German Academy for Acupuncture (Deutsche Akademie für Akupunktur | DAA e.V.), the European Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (EATCM), and the Austrian Association for Standardized TCM (ÖGKA) all offer courses recognized for certification in Auricular Medicine. CIAM is a cooperating institute independent of the institutions listed here. As such, CIAM’s certification requirements are independent of other associations and are modeled to the standards in North America.

Additionally, CIAM is a recognized by leading medical equipment suppliers to the field who show their endorsement by listing CIAM for training (e.g. Eastern Currents, RJ-Laser).

What does certification mean? 

CIAM-certified practitioners are professionals who recognize the importance of certification to maintain standards and professionalism in the field of Auricular Medicine.

Is certification equivalent to licensure? 

CIAM certification does not imply licensure of any kind. Although Auricular Medicine is recognized by health insurance in certain countries under the practice of acupuncture (i.e. in Germany and Switzerland), it is not currently a distinct area of medicine governed by a licensing or regulatory body.  

Is certification a required part of the core curriculum (or as part of taking any individual or other course offered by CIAM)?

Your education with CIAM does not require that you become certified, however you have the opportunity to earn certification at any point (as long as certification requirements have been met). Enrollment in the CMCP automatically, or certain CORE course bundles, gives you the option to get certified.

In what types of healthcare and wellness modalities are practitioners CIAM-certified?

The use of Auricular Medicine is not limited to a single modality. CIAM-Certified practitioners may be found in a range of healthcare and wellness modalities (i.e. acupuncture, allopathy, chiropractic, dentistry, naturopathy, psychology, physiotherapy) — the difference between, for example, a CIAM-certified Reiki practitioner and a CIAM-certified medical doctor is the set of experiences and education that inform their practice.

What are the requirements for Certification?

IntegrateAuricular offers CIAM Certification in Auricular Medicine as presented by the Canadian School of Auricular Medicine. See requirements below.

Requirements for Certification

  • Professionalism: Completion of CIAM Certification Application Form, which includes signed agreement to uphold guidelines for professionalism (CIAM reserves the right to deny or revoke CIAM certification from anyone whose conduct is not befitting the CMA Code of Ethics and Professionalism).
  • Affiliation to Field of Practice: Practitioner recognition and representation by the association of their modality (as required to practice according to provider guidelines of your State: i.e. license number, association number, certification).
  • Respective CORE course: Completion of respective Level I, II, and/or III CIAM coursework — including theory and practical training (see Review of Course Requirements below).
  • Respective CERTIFY course: Completion of respective Level I, II, and/or III CIAM clinical practicums (see Review of Course Requirements below).
  • Review of Course Requirements: Approval for certification is based on completion of coursework, participation/engagement in learning, and proficiency in the application of Auricular Medicine, as well as upholding professionalism in the field (CIAM supports the Canadian Medical Association Code of Ethics and Professionalism and reserves the right to deny approval for certification based on these guidelines for professionalism and/or proficiency shown in clinical case studies, exams, quizes, worksheets). 

CE Standards

The awarding of CE credit is based on participation in learning activities offered in accordance
with the standards described below.

Basis of CEU

CE credit is awarded for every CE-approved unit (i.e. Continuing Education Unit/CEU) based on one credit per one hour of instructional time.

CE Documentation

CE Documentation: As the sponsoring continuing education provider (e.g. professional development activity/PDA provider), IntegrateAuricular, provides course descriptions that highlight CE-approved courses (including names of the approving organizations as applicable), and course completion documentation that includes the name and date of the activity, the number of CE credits earned or hours of coursework completed, and a signature or other verification from the presenting instructor/trainer, cooperation school, or IntegrateAuricular.

Record Maintenance

As a continuing education provider, IntegrateAuricular maintains records for at least 3 years, with the ability to verify the awarding of CE credit to participants, as well as provide documentation of course completion/CEUs earned to qualified requesting individuals who completed the respective documentation of course completion process and/or earned CEUs.

Course Feedback

IntegrateAuricular maintains a means for direct input from course participants through a detailed course feedback form. The feedback is reviewed on an annual basis for improvement per curriculum goals and programming roadmaps.

Coursework & Attendance

 IntegrateAuricular CE programs (excluding educational activities presented as supplemental or free resources) are at least one hour in length, with credit awarded only for actual instructional time (lectures and demonstrations presented via instructional videos or texts), not for assignments or assessments (practice or exams). It is understood that full attendance is expected, and IntegrateAuricular has Learning Management Systems (LMS) in place to monitor course engagement — though it is the participant’s responsibility to adhere to, and complete, the coursework presented (as attested in the documentation for course completion).

Course Administration

Through its LMS, IntegrateAuricular maintains systems for enrollment, attendance/engagement, assignment participation and record, individual and specific learner evaluations (with ability for specific case-by-case reviews if required or necessary).
Coming soon... the most comprehensive compilation of medical professionals offering training and treatment in auricular- and resonance-based fields of clinical practice — all to apply the neural portal of the ear for improved patient outcomes.
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integrateauricular.com and contents copyright ©2019 IntegrateAuricular | Disclaimer: Content presented by IntegrateAuricular.com (website, training, or any other) is provided for educational purposes and is not intended to replace the medical advice of your doctor or health care provider. Please consult your health care provider for advice about a specific medical condition. IntegrateAuricular reserves the right to make any changes (content, programming, policy, etc.) at any time and without notice. Users waive the right to any claims against IntegrateAuricular related to the application and/or the practice of Auricular Medicine or related methods presented. It is to be understood that to drive a field forward, many educational aspects may be theoretical and/or based on clinical observations. Any statements regarding intended outcomes should be understood to have limitations. Proper application of the methods presented on IntegrateAuricular is the sole responsibility of the user, for which IntegrateAuricular cannot reasonably assume liability.