Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is one of the oldest continuous systems of medicine in history, with recorded instances dating as far back as two thousand years. This is in sharp contrast to the American or Western forms of health care, which have been in existence for some 150 years.

Traditional Oriental medicine is a major healthcare system for over one quarter of the world's population. However, the origin and development of the profession of Oriental medicine in the United States has occurred only in the last few decades. In its early stages, the profession established the certification, accreditation, and licensure structures to move the profession forward.