The American Academy of Health and Wellness (formerly the American Academy of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine) would like to extend a warm welcome to interested students from across the country. Our program will offer you new challenges and rich rewards. The ancient Chinese arts of healing are finding new life in the 21st century, and you have the opportunity to be pioneers in this cross-cultural adventure. At AAHW, we believe that traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) offers a perfect blend of medical science, life philosophy and healing art. Our goal is to train health care professionals who will be highly competent, highly skilled and dedicated to the practice of traditional Chinese medicine.

Graduates of our fully-accredited Master’s of Acupuncture (MAc), Master’s of Science in Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine (MAOM), and Doctorate in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (DAOM) acquire a comprehensive theoretical knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine, as well as the practical and technical skills needed to effectively treat patients. Students gain expertise in various modalities of Chinese medicine, including acupuncture, herbal medicine, medical Tuina massage, dietary therapy, Tai Chi, and Qi Gong. At the same time, our students receive a thorough grounding in fundamental concepts of Western science and biomedicine, emphasizing the integration of Western medicine with traditional healing practices. AAAOM is a truly unique institution. Some of our outstanding features include:

Faculty Our faculty members constitute one of our strongest distinctions. AAAOM’s professors include expert scholar-physicians from China who have made significant contributions to the field of traditional Chinese medicine. They have collectively published over 450 textbooks, research papers and reference books in China and the United States. Yet they are also active practitioners of Chinese medicine, who offer decades of clinical experience for students to draw on. Our faculty also includes highly skilled instructors and professors of biomedicine who have received training in the U.S. in both Western medicine and acupuncture. AAAOM’s faculty members, with their strong theoretical background, clinical experience, and technical skills, represent a uniquely diversified body of knowledge and expertise.

Student Body Our programs attract intelligent, accomplished students who represent a diverse group of cultures, ages, interests, and a wide variety of academic and career experiences. Many of our students come to us from other areas of the health care field, such as nursing, body work or health care administration. Many come from unrelated fields and are simply drawn by a passion for Chinese medicine. Exchanges among students contribute to a wider learning process outside the context of formal study. Students quickly form close bonds and develop collegial relationships with faculty and fellow students alike.

Student Clinic From their first year of study, students participate in clinical observation at our on-campus clinic. Advanced techniques in acupuncture and herbal medicine are modeled by expert faculty practitioners, who carefully discuss each patient’s case with observing students. In their third and fourth years, student interns treat their own patients under faculty supervision, gaining confidence and proven experience diagnosing and treating a wide variety of conditions. AAHW is proud to offer affordable acupuncture and herbal medicine services to the Twin Cities community.

Curriculum Theory, technique, real-life applications and clinical experience are deftly interwoven in AAHW’s comprehensive curriculum. Students find the program to be both intellectually stimulating and practically sound. As part of our core curriculum, we offer specialized courses in the TCM approach to gynecology, pediatrics, geriatrics, dermatology, psychology, neurology, and musculo-skeletal disorders. Vital coursework in practice management, ethics and legal issues, medical referrals, and the health care system prepare graduates to enter the professional world.

Library The AAHW library has a comprehensive collection of books and periodicals on acupuncture and Oriental medicine. We allocate resources to purchase both English-language and Chinese-language books in this field, with the objective of collecting every book on acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine which is available in English. We keep over one hundred journals on traditional Chinese medicine from around the world. Our goal is to have the most complete TCM library outside of Asia.

Study Abroad A unique feature of AAHW is its affiliation with several medical schools in China. The Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Jinan, China, our sister school, serves as a model for high-quality instruction and standards of practice. Advanced students can continue their studies there at the Ph.D. level or participate in different certificate programs facilitated by AAHW. Exchange programs between AAHW and other traditional Chinese medical schools in China can also be arranged to suit individual student needs, and to provide students with the best possible opportunities to study traditional Chinese medicine.