studying in china

[Guest guest]

Are you planning for 2 years or 2 weeks? Are you affiliated with a school now

that might

offer group programs? what is it you would like to study? Herbs, Acupuncture,

specific

diseases? How much experience do you have at this point?

Doug

 

 

, " tworks2012 " <tworks2012 wrote:

>

> Hello everyone,

>

> I'm currently researching the best places to study in China.

>

> Anyone feel like offering their 2 cents?

>

> Along with the strengths and weaknesses of specific programs?

>

>

>

> Thanks,

>

>

> P

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Doug,

 

I've been practicing for about five years and I'm

looking for a long term study situation (about a year

or 2).

 

All the school sponsored trips are way too short and

not at all what I'm looking for.

 

Yes I'm interested in both herbs and acupuncture. Not

really looking for the bio-med/integrative stuff or

the hospital settings that do cookbook treatments.

 

I'm also not a fan of specializations but if I were to

choose, I guess I'd pick endocrinology. It's the one

area I have the least experience with. But I'm more

interested in finding a solid teaching program with

great teachers/practitioners.

 

I've heard mixed reviews about a few different

programs but none from anything over 2 months. And it

seems like there's pros and cons of each program: the

schools nice but the geography isn't, and vice-versa.

 

And one last thing, I don't speak or read Chinese (at

least not yet).

 

 

Thanks,

 

P.

[Guest guest]

I went to Nanjing this past May and thought it was great. I was only there for 2

weeks

because of work and family but got a lot out of it without the pangs of

homesickness. The

folks at Nanjing University of were very helpful. The director

and

assistant director both speak excellent English which is helpful when you call

to make

arrangements. If you tell them what you want to specialize in, they will do

their best to

place you such a person. I only wanted clinical experience not lectures so don't

have

experience with their lectures. You can stay there for as long as you want, the

other

foreigners were there longer than I.

 

I like Nanjing because it's an easy city to live in and get around. Not as

exciting as

Shanghai or Beijing but it's an easy 2 hour train ride to Shanghai.

 

I have a friend who studied in Beijing for a couple of years. I think she got a

lot out of the

trip.

 

Good luck.

 

Deb

 

 

, Peter Jones <tworks2012 wrote:

>

> Hi Doug,

>

> I've been practicing for about five years and I'm

> looking for a long term study situation (about a year

> or 2).

>

> All the school sponsored trips are way too short and

> not at all what I'm looking for.

>

> Yes I'm interested in both herbs and acupuncture. Not

> really looking for the bio-med/integrative stuff or

> the hospital settings that do cookbook treatments.

>

> I'm also not a fan of specializations but if I were to

> choose, I guess I'd pick endocrinology. It's the one

> area I have the least experience with. But I'm more

> interested in finding a solid teaching program with

> great teachers/practitioners.

>

> I've heard mixed reviews about a few different

> programs but none from anything over 2 months. And it

> seems like there's pros and cons of each program: the

> schools nice but the geography isn't, and vice-versa.

>

> And one last thing, I don't speak or read Chinese (at

> least not yet).

>

>

> Thanks,

>

> P.

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Peter,

 

since you're going long term you have time on your side. It seems that

the most important choice you would have to make now is choose a city.

Chengdu is famed for their classical approach, while Shanghai is more

integrative-oriented (although you can of course still find

classically-oriented doctors in Shanghai). I stayed in Nanjing for

three years myself.

Chengdu is probably the nicest city to live in. Beijing is hip, of

course, with the Olympics coming. Shanghai has its cool and so does

Nanjing. They're all very polluted, though.

If I were you, I'd find a Chinese teacher as soon as possible. Expect

to pay 30-40rmb per hour, or exchange for English classes. Having a

translator is nice but nothing beats understanding the doctors

yourself and being able to ask questions. Be respectful to the

doctors, they will appreciate that. Buy a small present (like fruit)

once in a while and/ or invite them for dinner. The better your

relationship with the doctor, the more you will learn. I think this is

even more important than your place of choice.

 

If I would go back to China, I'd probably choose Chengdu. Liu Guohui

comes from Chengdu and I was impressed by his knowledge (healthy mix

of SHL/WBX) and I loved his teaching style.

 

If you want to take classes you must be able to understand Chinese.

That took me at least one year of studying the language. If you do not

really have an interest in studying the language perhaps focusing on

clinical internship is best. There are classes organized for

foreigners but in my experience these were not the best.

 

In my experience it takes quite some time and effort to find good

teachers and work your way up to them.

 

Best of luck,

 

 

Tom.

 

 

, Peter Jones

<tworks2012 wrote:

>

> Hi Doug,

>

> I've been practicing for about five years and I'm

> looking for a long term study situation (about a year

> or 2).

>

> All the school sponsored trips are way too short and

> not at all what I'm looking for.

>

> Yes I'm interested in both herbs and acupuncture. Not

> really looking for the bio-med/integrative stuff or

> the hospital settings that do cookbook treatments.

>

> I'm also not a fan of specializations but if I were to

> choose, I guess I'd pick endocrinology. It's the one

> area I have the least experience with. But I'm more

> interested in finding a solid teaching program with

> great teachers/practitioners.

>

> I've heard mixed reviews about a few different

> programs but none from anything over 2 months. And it

> seems like there's pros and cons of each program: the

> schools nice but the geography isn't, and vice-versa.

>

> And one last thing, I don't speak or read Chinese (at

> least not yet).

>

>

> Thanks,

>

> P.

>

[Guest guest]

Hello All,

 

Have any of you done any short or long term training in china? I would love to

hear about your experiences at any of the tcm schools there. I know quite a few

of them offer various courses for westerners.

 

Thanks!

[Guest guest]

how about your Chinese skills, or do you have to take the classes by English?

 

Steve

 

--- On Tue, 6/2/09, lesaparrish <lesaparrish wrote:

 

 

lesaparrish <lesaparrish

[Chinese Traditional Medicine] studying in china

Chinese Traditional Medicine

Tuesday, June 2, 2009, 7:48 AM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hello All,

 

Have any of you done any short or long term training in china? I would love to

hear about your experiences at any of the tcm schools there. I know quite a few

of them offer various courses for westerners.

 

Thanks!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

-I took a beginner language class and may take more this summer but I will need

classes in english for now.

 

-- In Chinese Traditional Medicine , Steve Qi <wxy123w wrote:

>

> how about your Chinese skills, or do you have to take the classes by English?

> �

> Steve

>

[Guest guest]

Just got back recently from several weeks at one of the major hospitals in

Taiwan. Terrific experience that I'd highly recommend. However, I used to live

in Taiwan and speak fluent Mandarin. Probably not quite as fruitful for

non-Chinese speakers, but I had non-Chinese speaking classmates with me who say

they thought it was a valuable experience.

 

Just the experience of see 80+ patients in a morning is quite an experience. I

hardly ever check this board, so if anyone wants to ask more, shoot me an email

at doctorjohnz at dot com.

[Guest guest]

Well, this is a big subject. There are a couple of answers. One phrase that goes

around foreign students in China of any subject is, " spend 3 weeks or 3 years. "

For a TCM I think its vital that one goes and sees and touches and smells the

atmosphere. It's like if you are into opera you have to see Vienna, or baseball

- Yankee Stadium (I guess that's not possible now!) but you get the idea. After

a week it all starts to fall into place, why CAM says what it says, how herbs

are dispensed, etc...

 

However, if you go and think you are going to be Taught something special then

you may be disappointed. I don't know what your level of training is but I found

after a few weeks there that my education in Los Angeles was really good. And I

guess it was worth it to go to China to find that out. Many of the best teachers

have gone to the West and these are who I studied with. There are great teachers

and practitioners there but that is something you get after 3 years.

 

If you are going for acupuncture, then you may find the West is much more

adventurous. Herbs, unless you find a specialized department, are pretty much

familiar. The big difference is that you will see 10 patients an hour and see a

lot of formulas written no matter what the department.

 

I would say the only area that is not covered well in the West is Tuina but then

I know of good teachers who have arrived after I graduated.

 

I have gone 3 times.... once 2 months with a small group. It was a bit

frustrating and a bit long actually. I went back on my own for a month and

camped out in the hepatitis department and dermatology department. It was really

good.

 

I went back for 2 weeks and nothing about that trip worked out very well. The

same hospital had changed things around, there was stress all around.

 

One thing I haven't done is taken these longer term programs for Westerners...

I've heard mixed answers....

 

So again, if its short term then definitely do it, take a look. Long term I'm

not sure...

 

Chinese Traditional Medicine , " lesaparrish " <lesaparrish wrote:

>

> Hello All,

>

> Have any of you done any short or long term training in china? I would love

to hear about your experiences at any of the tcm schools there. I know quite a

few of them offer various courses for westerners.

>

> Thanks!

>

[Guest guest]

As I say I haven't done a long term program but my impression is that if you are

a beginner in China you are really a beginner and things move very slowly. Here

in the States we prepare people in 3-4 years. There they are looking at 10 years

after apprenticeship... So there is lot of emphasis on basics and perhaps a lot

of redundancy. I never think Chinese teachers understand that after 4 years we

are basically on our own. They see as very impatient and wanting to skip around.

(of which they are correct also!)

So of course there are some great practitioners who have spent years there, Eric

Brand, and Robertson, Mazin etc... but again I wonder about 3 years only

with little other education.

Any others want to comment?

Doug

 

 

Chinese Traditional Medicine , " " wrote:

>

> Well, this is a big subject. There are a couple of answers. One phrase that

goes around foreign students in China of any subject is, " spend 3 weeks or 3

years. " For a TCM I think its vital that one goes and sees and touches and

smells the atmosphere. It's like if you are into opera you have to see Vienna,

or baseball - Yankee Stadium (I guess that's not possible now!) but you get the

idea. After a week it all starts to fall into place, why CAM says what it says,

how herbs are dispensed, etc...

>

> However, if you go and think you are going to be Taught something special then

you may be disappointed. I don't know what your level of training is but I found

after a few weeks there that my education in Los Angeles was really good. And I

guess it was worth it to go to China to find that out. Many of the best teachers

have gone to the West and these are who I studied with. There are great teachers

and practitioners there but that is something you get after 3 years.

>

> If you are going for acupuncture, then you may find the West is much more

adventurous. Herbs, unless you find a specialized department, are pretty much

familiar. The big difference is that you will see 10 patients an hour and see a

lot of formulas written no matter what the department.

>

[Guest guest]

After my four years of TCM education in the states, what I mostly got in

China was a conformation that I had a decent foundational education.

 

The more you know going there, the more you can get from the teachers there.

If you're a beginner, you can do just as well here (wherever here is) but if

you want to really focus on something like what Doug did in his hepatitis

clinic, then there is some deep potential there.

 

If you're a beginner, though, I think it is great to go there and see for

yourself how Chinese medicine looks in its modern context. Integrated

hospitals abound where acupuncturists will sometimes prescribe drugs and so

forth. There are a few travel/learn packages described here:

http://www.gancao.net/aculinks/directory.php?viewcat=115

 

Just avoid uncomfortable political topics. I was in a two-person hospital

room talking to an aging author who'd written books on (modern Chinese)

military battles. I figured that he'd have something interesting to say

about the Tienanmen Square " massacre " (my addition). He was happy to speak

honestly with me, but our conversation was curtailed because of the profound

insult that his roommate felt when I brought up the topic. So, watch out for

that.

 

On Tue, Jun 2, 2009 at 4:08 PM, wrote:

 

>

> Any others want to comment?

>

> Doug

>

>

 

--

, DAOM

Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

I just got back from Beijing in April although it was awesome and I did learn

something new (Bagua Abdominal Acupuncture ) I now appreciate�the diversity of

America.�Acupuncture is taught in many�styles and modalities around the

world�and asia but�only in America does it all come�together. In China

they teach only chinese acupuncture but they know nothing about Korean 4 point,

5 element Constitutional acupuncture, esoteric acupuncture or using herbs and

acupuncture in one treatment.�I met some�wonderful doctors and�had a great

experience but I now have�more�of an appreciation for studying acupuncture

here.

Jame'e

�

� " Tao is precious and not to be passed on, unless the student is sincere and

compassionate towards human suffering "

by: Huang Di Nei Jing Su Wen, chapter 4 Truth from the Golden Chamber

[Guest guest]

I think that you already read different experience from different persons.� My

point is that you will not get much if you only experience the atmosphere in a

China Hospital.

�

There will be some short-classes in a�variety of Universties in Summer time.

Some are foundation classes, some are�advanced classes.� You may check with

different universities to see what is available to you.�� and also to see if

English teaching is available or not. to my knowledge, English teaching

in�most schools/hospitals are very limited, as you can imagine.

�

To my knowledge, there is an advanced acupuncture class in Beijing Univ. of

, but it is specially requested by and designed for Ireland

people of about 13-14 people(these 13-14 people made up a team and told the

school what they wanted). The teaching is�in English. The contents are

clinic�plus subject-orietated teaching such as how to use acupuncture to treat

Child problem, stroke, ......����� If you are interested in it, you

may contact with the school to see if you can get in or not(probably the school

will get the permission of Ireland team).� The time is begining of August to

end of August.

�

BTW, to click and see if our work helps or not. We used more than 3 years to

video-record the whole clinical process for more than 70 diseases by famous

acupunturists in China, plus the terrific English translation, in addition to

the complete training materials of Acupunture.

http://www.56.com/u35/v_NDM0MjAyODA.html

http://www.56.com/u76/v_NDM0MTc1MDU.html

http://www.56.com/u64/v_NDM0MTg5MDE.html

Hope it will help!