Comprehensive Auricular Acupuncture
Virtual Workshop
Sunday July 19, 2026
HMI is enrolling for the VIRTUAL workshop “Comprehensive Auricular Acupuncture”.
Auricular (ear) acupuncture is a nonpharmaceutical approach for addressing both pain and stress issues. In practice, it can be used as a stand-alone treatment or in conjunction with conventional management and/or other acupuncture treatments.
This training delivers a comprehensive presentation of auricular acupuncture, taught in a format that presents both treatment protocols and methods for designing a treatment specific for the patient in front of you.
The program is a blend of didactic, demonstration, and hands-on teaching. It is an ideal opportunity to learn a useful acupuncture technique that is straight-forward to implement in your medical practice. The agenda includes a review of the anatomy of the ear and its somatotopic representation areas, inspection of the ear and examination using a point finder, implementation with various needle and non-percutaneous techniques, and hands-on work with commonly-used treatment protocols. All academic material is reinforced with handouts and manuals. A supply of needles will be provided so you can use this new skill immediately upon finishing the course.
This course offers 11 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.
Training Schedule
The course will be presented in two parts:
Part I: Pre-Course Assignments
Access to reading and streaming videos is provided upon enrollment. These assignments total 3 hours.
Part II: Live Virtual Didactics & Clinical Activities
The live course takes place on Sunday July 19 from 10am – 7pm ET (7am – 4pm PT) through Zoom. There will be brief breaks in the morning and afternoon, and a 30-minute break for lunch. The focus of the morning is didactics, and the focus of the afternoon is clinical activities.
MODEL REQUIREMENT: You are required to have a model to practice on during one 90-minute block of clinical activities. See below for further details. The model will need to be available 3:30-5:00 pm ET (12:30 – 2:00 pm PT).
Faculty
The program director is HMI Senior Preceptor Thomas Etges, MD. Course participants will work with a variety of faculty members throughout the course. All HMI faculty members are U.S.-based physicians with extensive training and practice of Medical Acupuncture.
Prerequisites
No prior training in acupuncture is required. Participants must be a licensed MD, DO, PA, or NP.
Curriculum Topics
The workshop covers the following topics:
- Auricular anatomy
- Somatotopic reflex system
- Use of the Pointer Plus device
- Use of auricular needles and non-percutaneous options
- Auricular acupuncture precautions
- Master Points, Functional Points
- Auricular Trauma Protocol (ATP), Battlefield Acupuncture (BFA), NADA Protocol
- Additional auricular protocols for common problems (e.g. headache, dental issues, GI complaints, GU complaints, depression and anxiety, insomnia)
- Case Discussion
Model Requirement for Clinical Activities
A model/partner is required for a 90-minute block from 3:30-5:00 pm ET (12:30-2:00 pm PT) to participate in this workshop. The model’s ear will be used during this block of clinical activities, including practicing examining the ear, locating points, and needling points.
The model must be a consenting adult (friend, family member, colleague, etc.). Models are not allowed to be pregnant.
State Practice Regulations
Before enrolling in this workshop, understand what your state’s acupuncture practice requirements are. Some states require 200+ hours of training and/or registering with the state medical/acupuncture board prior to performing acupuncture. In this case, you may enroll in this workshop for exposure or for non-percutaneous applications. It is your responsibility to ensure this workshop fulfills training and practice requirements for your state if you are intending on treating patients.
Fees
The workshop tuition fee is $1200.
Tuition includes one textbook, handouts and additional reference materials, a starter kit of needles, auricular point finding device, silicone ear model, CME certificate (11 hours), and access to videos for an additional 12 months.
Refunds
Requests for refund must be in writing no later than July 3, 2026. After this time, tuition is not refundable. A service charge of $75 is withheld from any refund.
Helms Medical Institute reserves the right to cancel the workshop, in which case a full refund is given.
Accreditation
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME). Helms Medical Institute is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians. Helms Medical Institute designates this online activity for a maximum of 11 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
A CME certificate will be issued upon successful completion of the entirety of the course. No partial credit will be issued. All required activities must be completed within two weeks of the conclusion of the course; no credits will be issued after this date (August 2, 2026).
“Outstanding – I was surprised at how well this worked remotely. Loved getting to work with different faculty – they each bring their own unique experience and perspective.”
“This was a wonderful day, learned a ton, and feel confident to implement this into my setting. All of the preceptors were welcoming and informative. Thank you!”
“This exceeded my expectations. Loved the small groups. Well organized and short sections kept things interesting.”
“Fantastic course! I’m surprised how much I’ve learned in a one day workshop and how I already feel equipped to implement the training in clinic. The hands-on sessions with our preceptors was extremely helpful.”