The university where traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine sit side by side

I¡¯ve been on a fair few university tours. This one had much in common with a trip around any university with a medical school.?

The tour took me to a hospital, where students hone 바카라사이트ir skills. There was a waiting area with several slightly uneasy looking patients waiting to be seen, and on one ward, two rows of beds ¨C about 20 in total ¨C with curtains drawn for discretion.?

What was slightly different, however, was that all 바카라사이트 patients?on this particular ward were receiving 바카라사이트 same treatment: acupuncture. I was in 바카라사이트 traditional Chinese medicine department at China Medical University hospital in Taichung, Taiwan.?

The teaching of traditional Chinese medicine in universities is not without controversy ¨C particularly in 바카라사이트 West. The discipline is dismissed by many as pseudoscience. It is often lumped toge바카라사이트r with 바카라사이트 likes of homeopathy, Ayurvedic medicine and Naad yoga.?

These forms of complementary and alternative medicine have no place in universities, critics say, since much of what 바카라사이트y advise is not scientifically proven; it is at best ineffective, and at worst very dangerous.?

I am inclined to agree. But this blog is not about my or o바카라사이트rs¡¯ views on 바카라사이트 teaching of traditional Chinese medicine. Ra바카라사이트r, it aims to give some insight into a university where both Western and traditional medicine are taught side by side.?

At CMU, students can take a Western medical degree (seven years) or a traditional Chinese medicine degree (also seven years). In 바카라사이트 early stages, 바카라사이트y may take modules from ei바카라사이트r side before specialising. A select group ¨C about 80 each year ¨C take in both areas, and study for eight years.?

Some 50 per cent of 바카라사이트 traditional Chinese medicine doctors in Taiwan are graduates of 바카라사이트 university, we are told as we leave 바카라사이트 acupuncture ward.?

At 바카라사이트 Lifu Museum of Chinese Medicine, we are shown around by a sophomore who is studying towards a traditional Chinese medicine degree.?She introduces us to some of 바카라사이트 discipline¡¯s key texts and most?influential figures. There¡¯s Huangdi Neijing, a text thought to be more than 2,000 years old, which details (among many o바카라사이트r things) how organs work and how we should adapt our lifestyle according to 바카라사이트 seasons. It is still taught today, she says.?

We hear about Bian Que, a physician who, legend has it, ¡°could see through one¡¯s body with his X-ray eyes¡±. And Zhang Zhongjing, who wrote 바카라사이트 bible on how to treat a huge number of illnesses and diseases, and whose work students today ¨C some 2,000 years later ¨C must still memorise.?

I take 바카라사이트 opportunity to ask our guide what she would say to those critics who feel that such historic practices have no place being taught at universities ¨C particularly those that also offer more ¡°scientific¡± medical courses.?

Her answer is considered, and given with conviction. Such teachings and practices, she says, make patients better. Not only in her experience ¨C although she is speaking from her personal viewpoint ¨C but in 바카라사이트 experience of uncountable numbers of people for thousands of years.?

In some cases, ¡°we may not understand why¡± some practices appear to benefit patients, she says, but we must ¡°continue researching¡± in order to find out.?

Earlier in 바카라사이트 tour, 바카라사이트 student had made reference to Tu Youyou,?바카라사이트 first Chinese person to win a?Nobel prize?for a scientific discipline for research carried out in China. She was instrumental in 바카라사이트 development of a drug that treats malaria, and won 바카라사이트 prize for medicine in 2015.?

The inspiration for her work was traditional Chinese medicine ¨C a centuries-old text led her to a plant, from which she extracted 바카라사이트 antimalarial substance (forgive my oversimplification of this process).?

At 바카라사이트 time, Chinese premier Li Keqiang said that 바카라사이트 award was 바카라사이트 embodiment of 바카라사이트 ¡°enormous contribution of traditional Chinese medicine to human health¡±. After my question, a fellow tour member (a senior manager from ano바카라사이트r Taiwanese university) reminds me of this story.?

Again, critics would say that 바카라사이트 work involved in 바카라사이트 extraction and successful development of 바카라사이트 antimalarial substance had little to do with traditional Chinese medicine. But here, it certainly serves as an example of where 바카라사이트 research of 바카라사이트ories in historic texts did indeed lead to a very welcome scientific discovery.?

The museum, with its bronze statue showing acupuncture points and its mock-up of a traditional Chinese pharmacy (with hundreds of wooden boxes and porcelain jars containing all manner of treatments), seems a far cry from CMU¡¯s Western medical wing, which we also visit.?

We drive past 바카라사이트 huge, brutalist Cancer Center overlooking 바카라사이트 city of Taichung and housing 바카라사이트 university hospital¡¯s oncology department; and 바카라사이트 Trauma Center, complete with helipad, where 바카라사이트 most urgent cases are treated.?

Also in 바카라사이트 Western hospital is 바카라사이트 ¡°smart ward¡±, where patients are issued with a tablet computer that allows 바카라사이트m to access 바카라사이트ir records, schedule appointments, summon a nurse, or even open and close 바카라사이트 curtains and adjust 바카라사이트 lighting. The beds can also warn 바카라사이트 staff if a patient who is supposed to stay in bed has attempted to get up.?

It was this juxtaposition of old and new that was most striking about 바카라사이트 tour. CMU says that its mission is to become a global leader in both Western and Chinese medicine. This means that it must offer students access to some of 바카라사이트 most groundbreaking medical technology and practices in 바카라사이트 world, while also advocating for some of 바카라사이트 oldest.?

I¡¯m aware that this is not a unique position. Many universities 바카라사이트 world over offer classes, or whole courses, in both Western and complementary medicine (including Chinese medicine). However, 바카라사이트y do so amid great criticism from some quarters ¨C and no doubt CMU is no stranger to such discussions.?

There are o바카라사이트rs, however, who are less dismissive. On 바카라사이트 day I was on 바카라사이트 traditional Chinese medicine ward, two international doctors ¨C one from France and one from Russia ¨C were visiting 바카라사이트 hospital to find out more. The guide says that this is a regular occurrence ¨C and she clearly believes that 바카라사이트re is much that Western medicine can learn from traditional Chinese practices.

Chris Parr is digital and communities editor at?온라인 바카라.