Studying TCM in China/Taiwan vs US?

[Li Yongfa]

Hello everyone, my name is Yongfa and I'm considering doing a TCM bachelor's or master's in China or Taiwan but hesitate at the moment. Here is my situation, perhaps you guys can help:

 

-22 years old, Chinese-American from NYC, BA in Human Biology

-Can read/speak Mandarin, some Cantonese. Will need to study a year or two at home before I become comfortable schooling in Chinese

-Currently finishing up my 1st trimester at a TCM school in the US (New York College of TCM, Master's degree). Many (if not most) of the professors here graduated from schools in China and have many years of experience.

 

My question: In order to get the best education possible, is it necessary to go to China? Or can I simply read classical texts on my own and find a mentor in the US or Asia later on?

 

I'm committed to becoming a good doctor, but am wary of leaving my parents. I live in NYC and went to California for college, and in that time my grandmother became very ill and my mother had a breast cancer scare, so being away for another few years is risky, though a year or two with breaks could be OK. My parents are generally fine now, but they don't exercise much and are at risk for diabetes. 

 

I've asked a Chinese professor of mine about this before. She did her combined bachelor's/master's at Hubei College of TCM, and said the education she received was much deeper and had a broader scope. But she also said I'd be fine if I just read classical texts on my own, and that would make moving to China unnecessary. That would be a nice solution for me, but I want to hear what you all have to say. Currently, I'm considering three options:

 

1) US master's while self-studying classical texts. A research article I read suggests that the classics play an integral part in one's TCM education, so perhaps I can simply read commentaries on my own and ask my professors questions. I have confidence in my self-study skills and often find that I benefit more from reading than being in class, so this approach suits me well. 

 

One downside to this approach, however, is that I have concerns about the quality of the clinical education at my current school due to low patient numbers. Schools in China are also situated in hospitals from what I hear, and that might expose me to various cases and make me a better doctor. 

 

2) US master's, then Asian master's internship. I'm hoping this would supplement any weaknesses in my American clinical training

 

2) Chinese/Taiwanese bachelor's (and maybe master's). Will my undergrad science credits transfer, even if I did them in English? 

 

The next trimester at school starts in 3 weeks, so I hope I can decide before then whether I want to stay here or go abroad. I look forward to your input!

[Flickserve]

IMHO, although I don't know much about TCM, it's a no brainer to go to China to study the whole thing. I. E. Do bachelor's and Master's. Your respect, standing and reputation amongst peers and patients will be greatly enhanced forever in the future.

As for your family issues, it's purely a personal decision for you to decide upon. Perhaps you should ask them. 50% of people get cancer so it's not exactly something you can prevent by being around. Now if you were the main caregiver giving insulin injections and giving them their medications, bathing them, cooking etc, now that's something different.

I thought you have to be studying TCM on a medical course for five years (or something like that) in order to be a TCM doctor. Is a Master's course equivalent?

Transfer credits? Ask the University themselves but don't have any expectations. In fact it it were me, I would start from the very beginning again to ensure a really solid foundation of the basics. YMMV.

[Li Yongfa]

Thanks for the input Flickserve. 

 

A 5-year bachelor's gets you a medical degree in China. In the US, TCM degrees are a master's, and where I live that's enough for an acupuncture license.