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ACMA
Publication Issue Aug 1, 2004
About
Chinese Medicine Doctor (CMD) Education
American
Chinese Medicine Association (ACMA)
1. Introduction
- Because
there are not many Chinese Medicine Doctors (CMDs) coming to America, many Americans are not familiar
with the CMD degree and CMD education. However, the CMDs' contributions to the world healthcare system are very profound and
significant. For
examples,
-
- •
The world's first medical school
-
- Tai
Yi Shu -- the earliest official institution for CMD teaching,
education, and training -- was the world's first government run and
officially recognized medical school in human history. The Tai Yi
Shu was established in Sui Dynasty (A.D. 581 - 618),
and the Harvard Medical School was established in 1782. So the
official CMD medical school -- Tai Yi Shu -- was established more
than 1000 years earlier than the MD education at Harvard Medical School;
-
- Note
1: The world's first private CMD medical school existed much earlier than Tai
Yi Shu. Since those private medical schools were not very well
documented, it's difficult to trace back to their origins.
Therefore, the well documented Tai Yi Shu was usually regarded as
the world's first government run and officially recognized medical school.
-
- Note
2: Some readers wonder why the world's first medical school was called Tai
Yi Shu. The name Tai Yi Shu is a direct pin yin
translation from Chinese characters. It reflects the fact that China
used to be a very hierarchy
society. Tai Yi Shu has the following meanings in Chinese
characters:
- Tai
-- means the highest and the most
authoritative (emperor's) power
- Yi
-- means medicine, medical, doctor, etc.
- Shu
-- means division, department, school, etc.
-
- •
The world's first medical degree
-
- CMD
degree -- issued by the world's first medical school Tai Yi Shu --
is the world's first professional medical degree in human history.
The CMD degree issued at Tai Yi Shu was more than 1000 years
earlier than the MD degree issued at Harvard Medical School;
-
- •
CMD degree is the world's first professional medical degree in
holistic medical education;
-
- •
CMD degree is the world's most systematic, comprehensive, and
advanced professional degree in clinical herbal medicine;
-
- •
Chinese Medicine medical schools issuing the CMD degree are the first
and probably the only medical schools in Complementary and Alternative
Medicine (CAM) that are listed in the World Health Organization (WHO)
World Directory of Medical Schools
together with the Harvard Medical School, Yale Medical School, etc.;
-
- •
The CMD degree is the first and probably the only medical degree on herbal medicine that
was recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO);
-
- •
CMD degree is the world's first professional medical degree in
traditional/alternative medicine honored and recognized by the World
Health Organization (WHO);
-
- •
CMD degree is the world's most reputable medical degree in
Chinese Medicine (Chinese Herbal Medicine, Acupuncture, etc.);
-
- •
CMD education system has set up the norms and standards for
Chinese Medicine education and practice in more than 100 countries around
the world;
-
- •
CMD education in China has become the Mecca in Chinese
Medicine education around the world;
-
- •
During the thousands years history, CMDs have helped millions
and billions of people in China and most Asian countries;
-
- •
China has sent CMDs to the World Health Organization (WHO)
helping the WHO's traditional/alternative medicine program, which has
helped millions of people around the globe;
-
- •
China has sent CMDs directly to many countries around the
world, which has directly helped hundreds and thousands people from
laypersons to kings.
-
- As
more and more CMDs come out of China and go to other countries, the world
will get more and more familiar with CMD education and CMD standards.
2. Origin of CM Education
- Chinese
Medicine originated from countless trials and errors, intentionally or
non-intentionally conducted clinical practices and experiences hundreds and
thousands or even million years ago. The study and education system of
Chinese Medicine (CM) has undergone many changes during the long history of
Chinese Medicine.
-
- In
the early era of Chinese Medicine, there was no established CM education
system. Most of the clinical practices and accumulated experiences at
that time belonged to individualized, non-systematic, and sporadic
behaviors.
-
3. Master-Apprentice
Education System
- The
earliest CM study
and education system was the master-apprentice system. This was
an informal CM education system designed to pass the CM theories, methods,
and techniques down from one generation to another. It was a small
scale, flexible, and diversified education system. There was no
degree/diploma issued in this education system.
-
- For
thousands of years, the master-apprentice system has played very
important roles in CM history. Even today, this education system
still plays an important role in CM education in China to supplement the
formal Chinese Medicine Doctor (CMD) education.
-
4. Private Medical
Groups and Schools
- As
the Master-Apprentice Education System evolved and developed, some masters
of Chinese Medicine had attracted many students. As a result,
different medical groups and schools had been formed surrounding these
masters.
-
- These
medical groups and schools were private entities. Although they were
non-government run, non-officially recognized CMD education systems at that
era, they were the earliest medical groups and schools in Chinese Medicine
history. Since they were non-officially operated, many of them were
not well documented in history. As a result, it's very difficult to
trace back to their origins. However, they were pioneers of CMD
medical schools and had influenced the government run and officially
recognized CMD education system developed later on.
-
- These
private medical groups and schools
had played very important roles in the developmental course of Chinese
Medicine, and had promoted CM education in the private sectors.
-
5. Official CMD
Education Systems
- The
government run and officially recognized Doctor of Chinese Medicine (CMD)
education system started in Nan Bei Dynasty (A.D. 420 - 581), was
established in Sui Dynasty (A.D.
581 - 618), and was completed in Tang Dynasty (A.D.
618 - 907).
-
- The
Nan Bei Dynasty had established Tai Yi Ling, Tai Yi Cheng, Tai Yi Zheng,
Tai Yi Doctor, Tai Yi Assistant Professor, etc. positions in charge of
Doctor of Chinese Medicine (CMD) teaching, education, and training. This
marked the beginning of government run and officially recognized medical
education system in the world.
-
- In
the beginning, only very few CMDs graduated each year. As a result,
almost all CMDs at that time worked for the emperors and other high rank
officials mainly. The public couldn't get access to CMD's services.
Due to this reason, CMDs were called Tai Yi (Imperial Doctor) in that
era.
-
- In
Sui Dynasty, the
government had reinforced and expanded the Nan Bei Dynasty's CMD education
system, and established the
world's first government run and officially recognized medical school -- Tai
Yi Shu. Tai
Yi Shu was to systematically and rigorously teach, educate, and train
Doctors of Chinese Medicine (CMD) in a larger scale. The
scale and detailed branches of the CMD education system within the Tai Yi
Shu were unprecedented in China history. This marked the
establishment of official CMD education system in Chinese Medicine history.
-
- Based
on the CMD education systems handed down from the Nan Bei Dynasty and the
Sui Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty had established more rigorous, systematic, and
comprehensive CMD teaching, education, and training programs in Tai Yi
Shu. This marked the completion of the CMD education system
in China history.
-
- Since
then, the CMD education system has been handed down from one dynasty to
another in China. Each generation has made contributions in
developing, modifying, and progressing Chinese Medicine.
6. Current CMD Education
- The
current CMD education system was based on the previous thousand's years CMD
education systems. Some modifications and reforms were introduced in
the 1950s. At
present, the Doctor of Chinese Medicine (CMD) degree is a professional
medical degree issued by Colleges of Chinese Medicine or Universities
of Chinese Medicine in China recognized jointly by the Ministry of
Education and Ministry of Health, P. R. China.
-
- It usually takes 6 years of systematic, rigorous, and comprehensive study, training, and
practice to obtain a CMD degree in China.
The CMD degree is the official medical degree required by China Ministry
of Health to practice Chinese Herbal Medicine (CHM) in China. A
physician holding a CMD degree is qualified to practice full spectrum CHM
ranging from diagnoses to treatments of all diseases.
-
- Today,
the CMDs are no longer the privileges of imperial class and high rank
officials. Now the CMDs are of the people, by the people, and for the
people.
-
Related Links:
Qualifications
to Practice CHM
On
Chinese Herbal Medicine (CHM)
Unified
Medicine Project, Part One
Unified
Medicine Project, Part Two
About
Chinese Medicine Doctor (CMD) Education
On
Chinese Medicine vs. Oriental/Asian/Eastern Medicine
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