Today, a growing number of patients routinely receive acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine treatment, creating a continually increasing demand for practitioners. As a result, more and more people are interested in studying Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). However, as with all things, there is a wide range of choices available to the prospective TCM or acupuncture student. Across the US there are many schools, most of them advertising their "TCM" curriculum. In fact, however, many schools offer courses and systems which widely diverge from genuine TCM as developed and practiced over thousands of years in China. These include Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, and French styles and systems, to name a few.

Graduates of such programs often flounder when the time comes to establish and manage a successful practice, simply because they are not grounded in real TCM principles and practices. Only a solid TCM education can truly prepare students for a successful practice in the real world.

A school which offers such a program should focus on a core TCM curriculum as presented and practiced today in China but adapted for the adult American students. A core TCM curriculum means that the program’s curriculum is built on the TCM pattern-based approach, with traditional Chinese medicine theory as the foundation, meridian theory, TCM pathology, TCM diagnostics and TCM treatment principle as the base, acupuncture, Chinese herbology, dietary therapy, and Tui Na as the leading techniques, students are gradually led to TCM internal medicine, TCM Gynecology, TCM Pediatrics, TCM Dermatology and other clinical medicine. Students should be introduced to other off-shoots of TCM systems (such as Japanese, Korean and French acupuncture systems), but the emphasis always remains on the core TCM curriculum. This integrated and progressive approach ensures that the student is fully grounded in all aspects of TCM theory and practice. In addition, the school should maintain the integrity of the traditional Chinese medicine curriculum. An independent school with a solid financial basis and strong, cohesive and committed TCM faculty is the only choice for a real TCM education.

Class sizes should be small and dialogue between instructors and students encouraged, so that students learn quickly and easily in a supportive environment. And when it is time to prepare for critical examinations, the school should routinely offer review classes for students preparing for such examinations. Some TCM schools rely entirely on outside tutors to assist students in consolidating and strengthening their knowledge for comprehensive preparatory examinations and for the National Board Examination.

The school should have a comprehensive TCM library, an essential resource to facilitate and enhance study, and this should include not only all available English and Chinese TCM and health-related books, but also a complete collection of all of the major English and Chinese-language TCM journals, as well as TCM and Chinese culture-related videos. The library will also contain the works of the school’s highly trained and experienced teachers and practitioners in both English and Chinese.

In all schools, Clinic Observation is the first stage of clinical practice. Be sure that students at this stage observe and assist real TCM practitioners - most schools only have students observing more advanced students. Only experienced TCM practitioners can provide students with the necessary depth of information regarding diagnosis and treatment which is necessary to develop the student’s understanding and abilities. Students should also begin clinical work in their first trimester, and the school’s clinics should be capable of providing a steady flow of patients.

Establishing a successful TCM practice depends on the ability of the graduate to successfully diagnose and treat a wide range of conditions and to compete in the marketplace. The school should not only prepare its students to make a good living in their TCM practice through a thorough and comprehensive pattern-based TCM education, but should also include how to establish and manage a successful clinic practice through hands-on experience while in the program. To further insure the success of graduates, the school should also offer a consultation service after graduation. In such a program, graduates can consult with the school’s instructors at any time regarding patient diagnosis and treatment, and staff doctors are available to visit the graduate’s facility to more directly assist with diagnosis and treatment.

The American Academy of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (AAAOM) can satisfy all these requirements. AAAOM offers a Masters degree program in acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine, and students begin their studies throughout the year at the beginning of the Winter, Summer, and Fall Trimesters. Applications are accepted all year around.

Changzhen Gong, PhD, MS, is the President of the American Academy of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine and executive director of TCM Health Centers. Dr. Gong came to the United States on a Fulbright Scholarship and is the author of many papers on traditional Chinese medicine. He can be reached at 651-631-0204.