Applicants
Welcome to Certification Services – Applicants and Candidates
Getting Started:
Interested in NCCAOM® certification? Many of your questions are answered in the General – Frequently Asked Questions and you can see a quick reference in the new NCCAOM® Certification Brochure. Also helpful is the NCCAOM® Certification Handbook (or Interactive Certification E-Handbook) which is the official source of information for applicants seeking certification(s) with NCCAOM. It contains details about meeting eligibility requirements and testing, as well as an explanation of the difference between State Licensure vs. NCCAOM Certification. The NCCAOM application form for certification is found at the back of the NCCAOM® Certification Handbook. The certification application is valid for four (4) years from the date NCCAOM receives the application.
NCCAOM offers the following certification designations:
Glossary of Terms ▼ (Click to Read)
Active and Non-Active Statuses:
Diplomate - A candidate who successfully passed the required examination(s) and has received approval of the final transcript submitted to the NCCAOM directly from the school. If the candidate has applied for the Acupuncture or Oriental Medicine Program, they have also completed and requested submission to NCCAOM of their validated Clean Needle Technique (CNT) Certificate from an approved provider. The Council of Colleges of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (CCAOM) offers an NCCAOM approved CNT course.
1. Certified Diplomate (Active) - A newly certified or recertified Diplomate. Holding the NCCAOM Diplomate credential assures patients, employers, certifying agencies, and others of a Diplomate’s commitment to upholding certification standards. Active Diplomates are entitled to all of the benefits of certification.
2. Inactive Diplomate (Non-Active) - A Diplomates who is not practicing as an AOM professional due to life circumstances may apply for inactive status. Individuals holding inactive status may not use the NCCAOM credential(s) or the NCCAOM service mark(s) and are not entitled to any of the benefits of certification except receipt of the Diplomate newsletter.
3. Retired Diplomate (Non-Active) – A Diplomate who is permanently retired as a practitioner from the AOM profession, a recognized subspecialty or any other health profession. The NCCAOM® Retired Designation Handbook details the eligibility requirements and entitled benefits.
Expired (Non-Certified) Statuses – Any Diplomate who does not recertify is expired and is not considered certified by the NCCAOM or are they entitled to any of the benefits of certification. An individual whose NCCAOM certification is expired may not use the NCCAOM credential(s) or the NCCAOM service mark(s). Below are the two types of expired statuses:
1. Lapsed (Non-Certified) – NCCAOM certification is considered lapsed after the expiration date on the certificate. An active Recertification Application or an Inactive Application must be received and processed prior to the certification expiration date to avoid lapsed status, late fees and additional recertification requirements. Former Diplomates who are lapsed and do not have a recertification application submitted with all PDA requirements fulfilled are not entitled to any of the benefits of an active Diplomate.
2. Terminated (Non-Certified) – After three years of continuous lapsed status, the certification is no longer valid. A former Diplomate whose certification is terminated must apply for NCCAOM® Reinstatement to Active Diplomate. The handbook and application can be found on the NCCAOM website under “Forms”.
Your Roadmap to Successful Certification ▼
The certification process can be a daunting experience for those with little experience in the application process. The first and most important step is to read the NCCAOM® Certification Handbook. For a visual overview of the certification processes see Your Roadmap to Successful Certification and the new NCCAOM® Certification Brochure. To see step by step instructions go to Stepping through the Certification Process.
Completing the Online Application ▼
New! The NCCAOM now offers the opportunity to complete and submit the certification application on-line.
The first step to applying on-line is to create an account and enter your profile information. This is made easy by going to our NCCAOM Online Portal.
Please Note: If you have applied to take the National Board Exams at any point in time, you already have an online profile with NCCAOM.
Contact NCCAOM at (904) 598-1005 or by email at “Contact Us“for general inquiries and questions about the online process or if you forgot your password.
Important Notice: Misleading Websites About NCCAOM or its Diplomates ▼
The NCCAOM® greatly values the trust that the AOM community and the public at large places in it. The NCCAOM protects this valued trust through formal intellectual property protections and by constantly monitoring the Internet for unauthorized uses of its intellectual property and/or misleading information about the NCCAOM or its Diplomates. Recently, the NCCAOM has become aware of at least two websites, nccaom.org.cn and nccaomkorea.com that are displaying the NCCAOM’s name without authorization and giving the false impression that they are somehow affiliated with the NCCAOM. The NCCAOM has ordered these websites to immediately cease using the NCCAOM name in their domain names and anywhere on their websites, but the unauthorized uses persist. If you see such claims on any institution’s web site, please send the website link to Irene Basore at info@thenccaom.org so that the NCCAOM can take appropriate action. Thank you.
