Academic calendar
Summer 2026 runs May 4, 2026 – Aug 15, 2026. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.
- Summer 2026Relevant now
- Fall 2026
Campus language
Search the full glossary. Nothing is sampled or hidden when the search field is empty.
Showing 24 of 24 terms
A
- AAAOM
- American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, a national professional organization for the field.
- ASA
- American Society of Acupuncturists, a national professional organization with student involvement.
B
- Berkeley Bowl
- The legendary nearby grocery store where students frequently get lunch and fresh produce.
C
- CALE
- The California Acupuncture Licensing Exam, the high-stakes exam students prepare for to practice in California.
- Clean Needle
- The Clean Needle Technique (CNT) certification required for clinical practice
- CNT
- Clean Needle Technique; the mandatory safety protocol and certification required for all clinical work.
- CSOMA
- California State Oriental Medical Association, a professional organization with which the student body frequently interacts.
D
- DAcHM
- Doctor of Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine, the professional doctoral track.
- Didactics
- The classroom-based portion of the medical education, as opposed to clinical rotations.
G
- Grand Rounds
- Clinical observation sessions where students watch a supervisor treat a patient and discuss the diagnosis.
I
- Intern
- A senior student who has advanced to the clinical phase and treats patients under supervision.
M
- Moxa
- Shorthand for Moxibustion, a therapy involving the burning of mugwort near the skin.
- MSTOM
- Master of Science in Traditional Oriental Medicine, the college's primary graduate degree program.
N
- NCCAOM
- National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, the body responsible for national board exams.
- Needling
- The practical application and technique of inserting acupuncture needles, often discussed in lab settings.
O
- Observer
- A junior student who fulfills clinical hours by watching treatments performed by senior interns or supervisors.
P
- Point Loc
- Student shorthand for Point Location, a core class focused on finding acupuncture points on the body.
- Point Location
- A core, often stressful, class and skill set involving the precise anatomical location of acupuncture points.
S
- SAR
- Society for Acupuncture Research, often referenced in the context of integrative medicine evidence.
- SGA
- Student Government Association, the primary student representative body on campus.
- Shattuck
- Refers to the variety of local restaurants and cafes located on Shattuck Avenue immediately surrounding the campus.
T
- TCM
- Traditional Chinese Medicine, the foundational medical system taught at the college.
- The Boards
- Refers to the California Acupuncture Licensing Exam (CALE) or the national NCCAOM examinations.
- The Lounge
- The designated student break area for meals, socializing, and studying between classes.
Places and practicalities
Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.
- 2550 Shattuck
- The street address used to refer to the main campus building in downtown Berkeley.
- BART
- The Bay Area Rapid Transit system; the Downtown Berkeley station is the primary transit hub for commuting students.
- Clean Needle Technique
- A mandatory safety certification (CNT) required before students can begin clinical work.
- Clinic Shift
- A mandatory four-hour block of clinical practice required for graduation requirements.
- Clinic Shifts
- The scheduled blocks of time students are required to spend in the community clinic for hands-on training.
- Clinic Theater
- A specialized classroom equipped for live clinical demonstrations and observations.
- Clinical Internship
- The hands-on phase of the program where students treat patients under supervision.
- CNT
- Clean Needle Technique, a mandatory safety certification required for all students before entering the clinic.
- Downtown Berkeley BART
- The nearest rapid transit station, used by the majority of commuting students.
- Grand Rounds
- Clinical observation sessions where students watch experienced practitioners diagnose and treat patients.
- Internship
- The advanced stage of training where students treat patients under supervision.
- Malpractice Insurance
- A logistical requirement for all interns before they can begin treating patients in the clinic.
- Observation
- The first stage of clinical training where students shadow licensed practitioners.
- Observation Hours
- The initial clinical requirement where students must log hours watching senior interns and supervisors.
- Populi
- The comprehensive student information system used for registration, grades, and course materials.
- Shattuck
- The main campus facility located at 2550 Shattuck Avenue in Berkeley.
- Shattuck Campus
- The main college building located at 2550 Shattuck Avenue
- The Clinic
- The AIMC Berkeley Community Clinic, the primary site for clinical intern practice.
- The Dispensary
- The on-site herbal pharmacy where students fulfill prescriptions and study raw herbs
- The Dispensary
- The specific area within the clinic where students fulfill herbal prescriptions during their shifts.
- The Great Hall
- The primary large meeting and classroom space within the campus building.
- The Herb Pharmacy
- The on-site dispensary containing over 400 types of raw herbs and formulas.
- The Herb Room
- The professional herbal dispensary located on campus where students learn to compound formulas.
- The Library
- The specialized campus library containing collections on Traditional Chinese Medicine and integrative health.
- The Lounge
- The designated student break area used for eating and studying between classes
- The Pharmacy
- The on-site Herbal Pharmacy where students and practitioners fill custom Chinese herbal prescriptions.
- The Pharmacy
- The on-campus herbal dispensary where students learn to identify and mix traditional herbal formulas.
Quick answers
Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.
- What academic term is relevant now?
- Summer 2026 runs May 4, 2026 – Aug 15, 2026.
- How much campus context is included?
- 24 approved campus terms and 27 local details are included in full.
- Are all approved campus terms included?
- Yes. The complete approved glossary is available in the scrollable, searchable campus-language section.
- Where does this guide come from?
- Calendar dates, campus terms, and local details come from DormWay's approved campus reference library.