Program Goals & Outcomes

Statement of Purpose

The purpose of the Doctor of Acupuncture (DAc) program is to prepare graduates for advanced professional practice as acupuncturists in collaborative, interprofessional healthcare settings. Building on foundational clinical competencies, the program emphasizes advanced clinical assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of complex conditions, along with professional leadership, scholarly engagement, and health systems navigation. Graduates are prepared to function as integrative healthcare providers across diverse clinical environments.

Program Goals

Doctoral graduates meet all master’s program goals and, in addition, the following doctoral goals.

Advanced Professionalism and Leadership in Ethical Practice

Doctoral graduates model professional conduct for colleagues, students, and interprofessional team members, assume active roles in fostering a culture of patient safety, and contribute to institutional quality improvement efforts.

Advanced Clinical Assessment, Diagnosis, and Intervention

Doctoral graduates perform advanced patient assessments incorporating interpretation of laboratory and diagnostic imaging reports, and formulate complex, integrated AHM and biomedical differential diagnoses. Their clinical practice reflects mastery of assessment, diagnosis, and intervention for patients with complex, multifactorial conditions.

Critical Synthesis of Research and Scholarly Literature

Doctoral graduates differentiate evidence-based medicine from evidence-informed practice, critically analyze research design and methodology, and synthesize findings from diverse scholarly and classical sources to inform clinical decision-making, treatment planning, and the advancement of AHM practice.

Interprofessional Collaboration and AHM Advocacy

Doctoral graduates assume expanded interprofessional roles. They educate and mentor peers, students, and other healthcare practitioners in AHM clinical reasoning and evidence, serve as credible AHM representatives within collaborative care teams, and contribute to the integration of AHM into mainstream healthcare delivery systems.

Scholarly Practice and Lifelong Learning

Doctoral graduates demonstrate the habits of inquiry, reflective practice, and intellectual rigor necessary for career-long professional growth. They engage actively with professional learning communities, adapt practice in response to emerging evidence, and contribute to the ongoing development of the AHM profession.

Health Systems Navigation and Structural Health Equity

Doctoral graduates navigate complex healthcare systems, articulate the role of AHM within the broader healthcare ecosystem, advocate for equitable access to AHM services, and recognize health disparities to inform both clinical practice and professional leadership.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the Doctor of Acupuncture program, graduates will demonstrate all master’s program learning outcomes and will additionally be able to:

1. Model professional conduct for peers, students, and interprofessional team members; foster a culture of patient safety and institutional quality improvement; and demonstrate healthy coping strategies, resilience, and self-care practices that sustain high-level professional performance across a career.
2. Perform advanced patient assessments incorporating evaluation of laboratory and diagnostic imaging reports; formulate complex, integrated AHM and biomedical differential diagnoses; and develop sophisticated, individualized treatment plans for patients with multifaceted conditions.
3. Lead collaborative case management across healthcare disciplines; facilitate transitions of care using patient-centered language and appropriate biomedical terminology; and apply knowledge of interprofessional healthcare team structures to advanced clinical problem-solving and decision-making.
4. Differentiate evidence-based medicine from evidence-informed practice; critically analyze research design and methodology; and synthesize findings from diverse scholarly, clinical, and classical sources to guide advanced treatment planning and contribute to the AHM evidence base.
5. Engage in scholarly inquiry that seeks, generates, and applies new knowledge to advance AHM clinical practice and the profession, demonstrating the intellectual rigor and reflective habits necessary for sustained contribution to AHM knowledge and patient outcomes.
6. Educate and mentor peers, students, and interprofessional team members in AHM clinical reasoning and evidence; and serve as a credible AHM representative within interprofessional teams, articulating the scope, evidence base, and value of AHM to diverse healthcare audiences.
7. Articulate the role of AHM within current and emerging healthcare systems; interact effectively across diverse interprofessional team structures; advocate for equitable AHM integration into healthcare; and apply structural analyses of health disparities to clinical practice and professional leadership.
8. Evaluate and synthesize information from patients, caregivers, and interprofessional team members to support collaborative clinical decision-making; facilitate continuity of care through timely referrals and collaborative treatment planning; and contribute to practice systems that promote safety, quality, and efficiency in AHM and integrative healthcare settings.