The Acupuncture Landscape

Reflecting on the Impact of Acupuncture School Closures

In recent months there has been some disturbing news in the acupuncture profession. The school I graduated from, the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine, one of the oldest, largest, and most respected acupuncture schools in the country, announced it was closing. But it is not the only acupuncture school meeting its demise: it is one of at least 10 that have closed in the past five years. The reasons are multifaceted and have wide-reaching impacts on the profession. And it leaves many of us in the profession with mixed feelings, including grief over losing the vibrant healing communities from which our careers grew. Acupuncture school enrollment has plummeted since the pandemic, the sustainability of a career in acupuncture has been a point of contention, and the debt-to-income ratio for acupuncture education is abysmal. All of these facets have created what some are calling an acu-pocalypse in our country and it is possible that within 10 years, there will be no new acupuncturists entering the field unless something drastic happens to change this trajectory. 

I want to be clear that this state of affairs has nothing to do with the quality, legitimacy, or effectiveness of acupuncture treatment. It has everything to do with the exorbitant amount of time and money it takes to receive our education countered by terrible reimbursement rates from insurance companies (or little to no coverage at all, such is the case in Kentucky) and thus the need for patients to pay out of pocket for healthcare at a rate most cannot truly afford so that acupuncturists can make ends meet (nevermind paying down their student loans). Most of us had or have over $100k in student loan debt (from acupuncture school alone) while only making around $50k a year in income. I wish that 16 years of hard work building my practice has yielded a more vibrant financial future, and I think it is easy for outsiders to think that is the case. But I am one of the lucky few who has a gainfully employed partner (not in the same industry) who can help cover our expenses while I keep the business afloat. I was also blessed by a gift of loan consolidation from my father that kept my interest rate low enough that I was not swallowed by it and was able to pay my loans off after 15 YEARS of paying more than my rent for my clinic every single month! I personally only know of one other acupuncturist (who happens to be one of my closest friends) who has also paid off their loans. I am sure I have other colleagues who have as well, but the topic is so taboo most don’t discuss it because they feel shame or like they are at fault for their debt when it is part of a larger problem with higher education in our country.

So how does all this impact you as the potential client of acupuncture? For now, it doesn’t really. But there is the possibility in the next ten years or so that no other acupuncturists will be entering the work force and the licensing bodies that legitimize the profession will no longer exist due to lack of funding. Those of us with current licensure will likely be grandfathered in and will be able to continue to practice but there will be no ‘fresh blood’ to hand our practices off to when we retire. In addition, the ongoing fight to get insurance coverage for our services will halt unless the state organizations across the country, that are all practitioner funded and driven, really step it up with countless volunteer hours working in a political environment we did not sign up for. As you can see, the profession is really at a crossroads.

It feels very vulnerable to share the stark reality of our industry. We have such a deep and beautiful medicine that allows us to offer hope to those who have lost it. We build meaningful relationships with our clients. I can’t even count the number of times patients have said I provided a light when there was only darkness or support when there was only despair. That love, that friendship, that knowing I am making a positive impact in the world, however small, is what makes it all worth it. But dang, it sure would be nice if the financial gain also provided incentive. I am so grateful for the work I do and the clients who show up to ‘do the work’ alongside me. I am concerned about the future availability of this healing art to those that need it and hope that by raising awareness we can ignite the change that is needed to flip the script for this ancient and powerful medicine here in the United States.