Surya Schimana-Chiller
Teresa Stevenson
Acupuncture is a branch of Chinese Medicine that stimulates specific points on the body in order to regulate the flow of Qi (vital energy) to balance the functions of the body, mind and spirit and to restore health. Chinese Medicine combines theory (philosophy and principles) and practices such as acupuncture, Chinese herbs, Chinese dietary therapy, Qi Ging, and massage (Tui Na).
Employment prospects for complementary health professionals grew very strongly over the past 5 years and is expected to continue growing with 8,000 jobs predicted by 2023 (Federal Government Job Outlook, 2018)
As a clinical Acupuncturist some of your responsibilities may include:
As most Acupuncturists are self-employed, your income will depend on factors such as the price you charge per hour, the number of hours you work, the number of patients you attract as well as your running costs and overheads.
In Australia the average Acupuncturist:
Source: Steel et al., (2018). The Australian Complementary Medicine Workforce: A Profile of 1,306 Practitioners from the PRACI Study.
To become a successful Acupuncturist, you need:
Acupuncturist may practice independently as a sole trader, or provide treatment in a multidisciplinary setting.
Acupuncturists often work alongside other allied health practitioners such as medical doctors, physiotherapists, osteopaths, chiropractors and naturopaths.
Women’s health, fertility, pregnancy, sports medicine, men’s health, chronic disease, orthopaedics, pain management, addiction, migraines and headaches, and digestive disorders.
Using your flair for visual and written communication you can create acupuncture specific content to be used by yourself or companies employing you for:
Work at any level of clinic management.
Teach and nurture the next generation of Clinical Acupuncturists by:
Contribute to the body of knowledge on acupuncture by becoming an Acupuncture Researcher. The first step to pursuing a career in research is completing further education with Endeavour College of Natural Health’s Honours program.