PLAR Steps For the Academic Document Review
Access Professional Testing site, use your registration number and create a password so that you can go in out and take breaks as you need to. But before you do so, you must organize your documents to have them prepared for uploading to the site. Although you may have had documents notarized previously, you must now take all documents for the Purpose of PLAR as a package to the lawyer and have them notarized and you must also swear that your transcripts prepared by you is a true attestation of the courses you studied. Then you can go to Professional Testing and start.
Step 1: Organize TCM Education in sequence.
- Certificates, diplomas, degrees and transcripts, if not in the official languages of English or French must be officially translated. Then it must be notarized.
- Organize transcripts in sequence if you attended more than one school. e.g. 1980-1984, 1985-1987.
- This should include all courses taken and hours of instruction per course and total hours of TCM education. If you are Grandparented Acupuncturist your hours of TCM Education must not be less than 750 hours. If you are Grandparented Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner your hours of TCM Education must not be less than 1000 hours
- Include any other certificates, licenses and diplomas.
- Take all documents that you have organized to the lawyer or notary public. If you do not know how to scan documents, have the lawyer, friend or family member scan all documents so they can be uploaded to the Professional Testing Website. Each school and associated certificates, degrees and diplomas and transcripts should be placed in separate folders to upload as the site requires you to upload them separately.
- Now your ready to enter Professional Testing Website to fill out the application.
Step 1 Upload your scanned documents and fill out the sections accordingly.
Step 2. Summarize your courses taken, hours and include a brief description.
Step 3. Align your course taken to the occupational competencies.
Step 4. Review to check for errors or omissions.
Step 5. Print each section off as you go such as Step 1,2, 3.
Step 6. Pay and submit.
- Start Step One to begin your application process as follows:
- Program Period must include month/day/year. If you started your program on January 8 1974, the site requires you to fill in when you graduated from your program such as April 18, 1978.
- Identify Name of Program: Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture
- Identify Address of School and Country
- Upload certificate of 1st school, transcripts, include Chinese certificate and translated into English and notarized.
- Upload certificates of other schools and licenses in sequence.
Step Two:
Complete Summary Chart of Courses, Hours and Brief Description
Philosophy of Chinese Medicine: 150 hours. Introduction to TCM theory: yin/yang, five elements, organ theory, channels and collateral, essence, spirit, qi, blood and body fluid. Zang/Fu Physiology, Etiology and Pathogenesis of TCM Disease.
Chinese Medicine Terminology: 100 hours. Introduced terminology used in philosophy, diagnosis and treatment of TCM as many of these terms are Chinese.
Clinical Acupuncture Point System: 120 hours: The name, location and function of 361 acupoints and the main extra-ordinary acupoints on the meridians.
Clinical Meridian Structure and Pathways: 120 hours: Studied the twelve regular, eight extra, the divergent and connecting meridians in relation to their location and function according to TCM philosophy.
Western Medicine Terminology: 120 hours. Focused on the study of the human body, structure and function of all body systems and the pathological changes in these systems.
Clinical Acupuncture and Moxibustion Therapy 1: 140 hours. Studied TCM diagnostic and treatment methods: Inspection, Auscultation/ Olfaction and Palpation-Tongue and Pulse Diagnosis. This included clinical observation in applying diagnostic and treatment methods in clinical practice.
Chinese Medicine Assessment and Diagnosis: 150 hours. Taught TCM Differential Diagnosis/ differentiation of syndromes according to the Eight Guiding Principles, Meridian Differentiation, Organ Theory/ Zang-Fu, Six Channels Theory, the Theory of Wei, Qi, Ying and Xue and Sanjiao.
Introduction to Chinese Herbology: 180 hours. Course taught four essences, the five flavours, the four directions and actions of Herbs. Must be able to identify 350 herbs, characteristics, classification, nature, functions, contra-indications and combinations and the main synergistic and adverse effects. Dosage, storage and processing.
Herbology Lab: 50 hours. Preparation methods introduced and instructed in the clinical application of herbs.
Clinical Internship: 120 hours. As an intern responsible for treatment of patients under the direct supervision of my teachers using clinical skills in TCM diagnosis and TCM treatment principles.
Auricular/Scalp/Microsystems and Ancillary Techniques: 140 hours. Taught 91 standard auricular points location, therapeutic effect and clinical applications. Anatomy of the head and Scalp acupuncture points location and therapeutic application taught according to patterns of disharmony. Anatomy of the hand and location of acupoints and their application taught according to patterns of disharmony. Introduction to electro- acupuncture, infra-red heat, acupressure, tuina massage, laser therapy and moxibustion, and their application including contra-indications and adverse effects.
Chinese Herbal Prescriptions 1 & 2: 240 hours. 150 commonly used TCM formulae studied according to eight methods treatment principle, classification, name, source, ingredients, method of preparation, actions, indications, analysis of individual herbs in the formula, cautions, contra-indications, modifications, dosage.
Internal Medicine Treatment of Common Diseases: 250 hours. Common TCM Diseases in Internal Medicine according to TCM Syndrome Differentiation, Etiology, Pathogenesis and Treatment Principles are taught and included most appropriate TCM Therapies.
Treatment of TCM Diseases 1 & 2: 240 hours. Ear, Nose, Throat Diseases of TCM; Dermatology of TCM; Gynaecology of TCM; Pediatrics of TCM; Surgery of TCM.
Clinical Internship: 500 hours. As an intern assumed the role as TCM practitioner under direct supervision of a licensed “TCM Doctor”. Responsible for assessment, diagnosis and treatment of patients. Authorized to practice the full scope of TCM in the treatment of complicated disorders.
Research Thesis: 150 hours. Total: 2,770 hours
Step Three: Align TCM Courses according to the Occupational Competencies. List the courses that specifically apply to the competencies in each areas of practice. List a minimum of 2 courses and maximum of five courses. When you go to this section a number of courses will come up on the screen. You will have to choose 2-5 courses that match The 4 areas of competencies listed below.
TCM Foundations Competencies:
Philosophy of Chinese Medicine: 150 hours
Chinese Medicine Terminology: 120 hours
Clinical Acupuncture Point System: 120 hours
Introduction to Chinese Herbology
Diagnostics and Treatment:
Clinical Acupuncture and Moxibustion Therapy: 140 hours
Chinese Medicine Assessment and Diagnosis: 150 hours
Internal Medicine Treatment of Common Diseases: 250 hours
Acupuncture Techniques:
Clinical Meridian Structure and Pathways: 120 hours
Clinical Acupuncture Point System: 120 hours
Auricular/Scalp/Microsystems and Ancilliary Techniques: 140 hours
Herbal Dispensary Management:
Introduction to Chinese Herbology: 180 hours
Chinese Herbal Prescriptions: 250 hours.
Research Thesis: 150 hours
Clinical Internship: 500 hours.