The ABORM has been formed by leading professionals in Oriental Reproductive Medicine who have come
together voluntarily with a resolve to meet the patient and physician demand for a demonstration of
knowledge of care in this field. We have recognized the need for a certification to maintain that
practitioners who are treating patients with Oriental Medicine in the field of Reproductive Health are doing
so with an advanced knowledge and experience, and to allow practitioners to demonstrate their knowledge
through the process of voluntary examination.
The ABORM is a non-profit 501(C)6 corporation devoted to teaching, research, and the practice of
Oriental Medicine as it relates to the treatment of reproductive disorders. The ABORM respects the
training and lineage of all practitioners who work with reproductive disorders. Our medicine is holistic in
nature, and that holism must be retained as we choose to gain advanced knowledge in the treatment of
fertility with Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. In the interest of the health of all our patients, and the
advancement of the AOM profession, ABORM asserts the right of any practitioner to gain advanced
knowledge in any area he or she chooses to study. Download Presentation About The ABORM (PowerPoint)
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A Word About Specialty Boards
A specialty board is a separately incorporated, financially independent body which determines its
requirements and policies for certification, selects the members of its governing body in accordance
with the procedures stipulated in its bylaws, accepts its candidates for certification from persons who
fulfill its stated requirements, administers examinations, and issues certificates to those who submit to
and pass its evaluations.
A fundamental objective of all approved boards is to act in the public interest by contributing to the
improvement of medical care by establishing the qualifications for candidates and by evaluating individuals
who apply for certification. This does not prevent a practitioner who chooses not to be examined and is
not board certified, from practicing that specialty.
Specialization in Oriental Medicine is not a new concept. Chinese medicine has a history of specialization
dating back at least to the 1600s. For example, there are texts such as Fu Qing Zhu’s Gynecology that
imply specialization in the early Qing Dynasty (1641-1911). The famous Ding family lineage of Shanghai,
which is recognized for their internal medicine specialty, and another famous Shanghai family lineage of
the Gu who specialize in external medicine, have generations of experience.
Currently, there are many specialties being practiced using traditional medicine in Asia and this is
demonstrated in large hospitals. Here in the US, specialty boards in Oriental Medicine have existed for
some 20 years. While the concept is not new, new boards are forming. At the present time an oversight
board does not exist for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine specialty boards, however, the ABORM
supports the formation of a specialty oversight board by the profession at large.
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About Reporting Pregnancy Statistics
Right now in the field acupuncture and infertility there are no standardized or uniform procedures for
reporting pregnancy success rates. Because so many OM Reproductive Specialists have patients utilizing
both OM and ART together, it is very difficult to delineate which of the two modalities contributes primarily
to the pregnancy outcome.
Ethical reporting of pregnancy rates by acupuncturists is a very important issue that needs to be
addressed. The ABORM is currently soliciting comments and input from our ABORM Fellows and Western Medical Reproductive Specialists and statisticians on this very important topic. At this time it is not within
the purview of the ABORM to advise or enforce the reporting of pregnancy statistics for acupuncturists.
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ABORM Federal Non-Profit Status and Income Tax Reporting
If you would like to obtain a copy of the ABORM Federal Income Tax Return, Please Contact:
