Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)

Ancient TCM Book

Traditional Chinese Medicine internship at the Shanghai East Hsopital, China. The Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Department has qualified for our MedoPolo International Teaching Award 2019′ according to the evaluation reports of all of our students in 2019!

Traditional Chinese Medicine is in the realm of the Western Medicine dominated world still much of a mystery and surrounded by many myths. With its history of many thousand years, Traditional Chinese Medicine is looking back on an epic treasure of observational findings and great experience througout its history. 

What is TCM?

Traditional Chinese Medicine is a completely independent branch of medicine and has emerged presumably about 3500 years ago. TCM nowadays exists as stand-alone medical branch and also together with ‘Western Medicine’ practices.

Traditionally, TCM consists of five main pillars, being

Traditional Chinese Medicine internship: International student doing TCM on the ward
Acupuncture and ‘cupping’ therapy perfomed by international students
  1. acupuncture
  2. herbology
  3. moxibution
  4. massage therapy
  5. nutrition / lifestyle.

Traditional Chinese Medicine is still underrepresented and poorly understood in most Western cultures. The treatment methods of these millennia-old experiences on many, especially chronic, diseases even often provide a better clinical outcome compared to purely Western treatment methods, according to many studies.

There are three different hospital models in China: Hospitals offering Western medicine, Hospitals providing both Western and Traditional Chinese Medicine , and finally, Hopitals offering pure TCM. The Shanghai East Hospital offers both schools of medicine equally and most of the patients on the wards are treated in addition to the approaches of Western medicine and partly with TCM therapies.

Can I learn about TCM at the Shanghai East Hospital?

Since interest in Traditional Chinese Medicine internship (TCM) at our department of the Shanghai East Hospital is very high, we can offer our medical students placement as addition to rotation in any clinical field. The placement in the Traditional Chinese Medicine Department is limited to a maximum of 1 – 2 weeks and is only available to select students upon request. The Shanghai East Hospital does include TCM treatments in congruence with western medicine treatments on most wards.

Please indicate on your application documents if you wish to be placed on a Traditional Chinese Medicine internship in addition to your regular choices of western medicine departments. Placement in the TCM department may be possible for almost all choices of departments as addition – depending on availability. Please note that additional costs may apply for TCM placement.