Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Chinese medicine education and its challenges in the United States

  • Feature Article
  • Published:
Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Over the past 4 decades Chinese medicine (CM) has come increasingly into the spotlight in the United States as the clinical effectiveness of CM has been not only empirically well-tested over a long period of time but also proven by recent scientific research. It has proven cost effectiveness, safety, and is authorized for natural and holistic approaches. In consideration, CM is one of the underutilized health care professions in the United States with a promising future. However, CM faces many challenges in its education and system, its niche in the health care system as an independent profession, legal and ethical issues. This paper discusses the confronting issues in the United States: present education, standards of CM education with shifting first professional degree level, new delivery systems of CM education. Development of new research models, training of evidence-based practice, and implementation of integrative medicine into CM education also are the key issues in the current CM profession. This paper also discusses opportunities for the CM profession going beyond the current status, especially with a focus on fusion medicine.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Xue CC, Li CG. Principles in designing traditional medicine education programs. Pac Health Dialog (Chin) 2003;10(2):99–105.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Cassedy JH. Early uses of acupuncture in the United States, with an addendum (1826) by Franklin Bache, MD. Bull N Y Acad Med 1974;50:892–906.

    CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Hinrichs TJ, Barnes LL, eds. Chinese medicine and healing: an illustrated history. Cambridge and London: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2013:334–378, 284–333.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Flexner A. Medical education in the United States and Canada: a report to the Carnegie Foundation for the advancement of teaching. Bull World Health Organ 2002;80:594–602.

    PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Zhou W. Developing a Chinese medicine programme in a Western medical university. LeJSME 2012:6(Suppl 1):155–158.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Yuan W. Acupuncture comes to Canada: the struggle for professional recognition, 1970–1996. University of Ottawa; 2000:100–176.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Reston J. Now, about my operation in Peking. The New York Times. July 26, 1971.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Chou PC, Lin JG. Current situation of the university education and examination system of traditional Chinese medicine in Taiwan. Chin J Med History (Chin) 2009;39:270–272.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Schwarz MR, Wojtczak A, Zhou T. Medical education in China’s leading medical schools. Med Teacher (Chin) 2004;26:215–222.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Park HL, Lee HS, Shin BC, Liu JP, Shang O, Yamashita H, et al. Traditional medicine in China, Korea, and Japan: a brief introduction and comparison. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2012;2012:429103.

    PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Na S. East Asian medicine in South Korea. Harvard Asia 2012;14.4.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture Oriental Medicine (ACAOM). Available at http://www.acaom.org/find-a-school. Jan 9, 2014.

  13. Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture Oriental Medicine (ACAOM). Newsletter. Fall 2013. Available at http://www.acaom.org/documents/11-11-newsletter.pdf. Jan 9, 2014.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture Oriental Medicine (ACAOM). ACAOM accreditation manual: structure, scope, process, eligibility requirements and standards. Available at http://www.acaom.org/documents/accreditation_manual_712.pdf. Jan 9, 2014.

    Google Scholar 

  15. The National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) website. Job task analysis (JTA) informational page. Available at http://www.nccaom.org/job-task-analysis-jta-informational-page. Jan 17, 2014.

    Google Scholar 

  16. National Oriental Medicine Accreditation Agency (NOMAA). Accrediting Commission of First Professional Doctorate Programs and Institutions of Oriental Medicine. Available at http://www.nomaa.org/Documents/NOMAA_Curriculum_Development.pdf. Jan 7, 2014.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Higgins J, Green S. Cochrane handbook for systematic reviews of interventions. Version 5.1.0. Available at http://www.handbook.cochrane.org. Jan 7, 2014.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Hui KK, Pritzker S. English translation of TCM terminology: Terminology standardization in Chinese medicine: the perspective from UCLA center for East-West medicine (II). Chin J Integr Med 2007;1392:152–155.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Sun XG, Wu WK, Lu Z. Chinese integrative medicine: translation toward person-centered and balanced medicine. Chin J Integr Med 2012;18:3–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Academic Consoutium for Complementary and Alternative Health Care (ACCAHC). Clinicians’ & educator’s desk reference on the licensed complementary & alternative healthcare professions. 2nd ed. 2013.

    Google Scholar 

  21. The National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM). State license requirements. Available at http://www.nccaom.org/regulatory-affairs/statelicensuremap. Dec 18, 2013.

    Google Scholar 

  22. World Health Organization Western Pacific Regional Office. Regional Workshop on Development of National Policy on Traditional Medicine. Bejing, China. October 1999.

  23. Mao JJ, Kapur R. Acupuncture in primary care. Primary Care 2010;37:105–117.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. World Health Organization (WHO). Diseases and disorders that can be treated with acupuncture. Available at http://NW.apps.who.int/medicinedocs/en/d/Js4926e/5.html#Js4926e.5. Jan 13, 2014.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Solos L, Yuan L, Yue GX. The teacher-disciple tradition and secret teaching in Chinese medicine. Chin J Integr Med 2014;20:56–62.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Chow, EPY. Acupuncture: its history and educational significance to health practices in the United States. The Fielding Institute, Santa Barbara, California; 1975:13–16.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Scheffer C, Tauschel D, Neumann M, Lutz G, Cysarz D, Heusser P, et al. Integrative medical education: educational strategies and preliminary evaluation of the integrated curriculum for anthroposophic medicine (ICURAM). Patient Educ Couns 2012;89:447–454.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Harden RM. The integration ladder: a tool for curriculum planning and evaluation. Med Educ 2000;34:551–557.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Srinivasan M, Wilkes M, Stevenson F, Nguyen T, Slavin S. Comparing problem-based learning with case-based learning: effects of a major curricular shift at two institutions. Acad Med 2007;82:74–82.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Jia Q. Traditional Chinese medicine could make “Health for One” true. Commission on intellectual property rights, innovation and public health. Available at http://www.who.int/intellectualproperty/studies/Jia.pdf. Dec 18, 2013.

    Google Scholar 

  31. Xu H, Chen KJ. Complementary and alternative medicine: is it possible to be mainstream? Chin J Integr Med 2012;18:403–404.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Lu AP, Bian ZX, Chen KJ. Bridging the traditional Chinese medicine pattern classification and biomedical disease diagnosis with system biology. Chin J Integr Med 2012;18:883–890.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Branes LL. The acupuncture wars: the professionalizing of American acupuncture—a view from Massachusetts. Med Anthropol 22:261–301.

  34. Shea JL. Applying evidence-based medicine to traditional Chinese medicine: debate and strategy. J Alternat Complement Med 2012;12:255–263.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Professions and Occupations (225ILCS2/) Acupuncture Practice Act. Available at http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=1290&ChapterID=24. Dec 18, 2013.

  36. Title 16 Occupational and Professional Licensing. Chapter 2. Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Practitioners. Part 2 Scope of Practice. Available at http://www.nmcpr.state.nm.us/nmac/parts/title16/16.002.0002.htm. Dec 18, 2013.

  37. The 2011 Florida Statutes. Title XXXII Regulation of Professions and Occupations. Chapter 457 Acupuncture. Available at http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&StatuteYear=2011&URL=0400-0499/0457/0457.html. Dec 18, 2013.

  38. Washington State Legi s lature. RCW 18.06.010 Definitions. Available at http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=18.06.010. Dec 18, 2013.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine Program, National University of Health Sciences, Lombard, IL, 60148, USA

    Yihyun Kwon

Authors
  1. Yihyun Kwon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yihyun Kwon.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kwon, Y. Chinese medicine education and its challenges in the United States. Chin. J. Integr. Med. 20, 256–262 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-014-1781-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-014-1781-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation