Section 16-72-17 - Academic standards for the use of titles(a) Subject to the provisions herein, a licensee may use an earned degree title if the licensee has completed education in an approved school that includes acupuncture coursework related to the degree.(b) A licensee who was previously authorized by the board to use a doctoral designation may continue to use that designation until September 1, 2000.(c) Commencing on September 1, 2000, no licensee shall be allowed to use the doctoral designations "Doctor of Acupuncture", "D.Ac.", or similar title unless that licensee has applied to and received the approval of the board to use the designation. In order for the licensee to receive the board's approval, the licensee shall demonstrate that the licensee has: (1) An earned doctoral degree in acupuncture or traditional Oriental medicine from an approved school, or shall have completed a program approved by the board in the study or practice of acupuncture or traditional Oriental medicine that consisted of at least five hundred hours in advanced academic education and training that is beyond that required for the L.Ac. entry level. The five hundred hours may include any combination of topics covered in categories I and II listed in "Appendix A" dated April 6, 2000, entitled "Doctoral Program" for determination of credential evaluation; and(2) At least one thousand five hundred hours of clinical training and practice of acupuncture, traditional Oriental herbal medicine, or traditional Oriental physiotherapy, which may include laboratory work and presentation of scholastic instruction, that was obtained after the person commenced the doctoral studies.(d) In determining whether a licensee meets the requirements to use the doctoral designation, the board may require additional information including, but not limited to, the licensee's school catalog course descriptions and documentation of the clinical training and practice of acupuncture.(e) A licensee who has earned a doctoral title and who wishes to use a doctoral designation after September 1, 2000, shall comply with subsection (c) herein.(f) A licensee who has been awarded a "Ph.D." in acupuncture or traditional Oriental medicine shall be considered a non-practitioner and shall be permitted to use the designation of "Ph.D." in accordance with subsection 436E-13(b), HRS.[Eff and comp 10/26/00] (Auth: HRS § 436E-7) (Imp: HRS § 436E-13)