trying to go to school for chinese medicine

[Pranaman]

but I need to already have a bachelors degree...

 

So i ask all of you common and uniquely minded people, what should I major in before I learn chinese medicine?

[WhiteTiger]

but I need to already have a bachelors degree...

 

So i ask all of you common and uniquely minded people, what should I major in before I learn chinese medicine?

 

Thats a pretty interesting question actually.

 

I've switched from Community College to Community College, it really depends one the college your attending and what they offer. (even if were not talking about community college)

 

Also depends are you willing to travel and so forth?

 

In all honesty The most common and best thing I can think of at a typical American, State college, or University (notice how I say American) that doesn't have very specified degrees, I'd go with Exercise Physiology. The biggest thing I've noticed is that degrees at different colleges (Depending on the teachers you take in the college for your specific degree, and how they teach and what they cover) they cover slightly different stuff. Because its such a general degree. The more general the stuff will be, unfortunately (As i have learned) + Not only do they teach slightly different aims they often call it different names at different colleges it gets into a LOT OF STUDYING ABOUT COLLEGES!

 

Anyway, thats the type of options in the past I've looked at, and figured out. Hope that helps, if you have some more specific questions about what i said feel free to PM me. The knowledge I have is free specially if i know it off the top of my head.

Edited July 25, 2008 by WhiteTiger

[bindo]

Exercise physiology is an excellent suggestion. The aging population is becoming more and more interested in functional exercise.

 

Also, consider medical qigong training instead of the formal chinese medicine programs. Maybe study herbs at the Institute of Chinese Herbology. You'd have a nice little clinic.

[Gerard]

Maybe in the future you could study something like this:

 

http://www.qigongmaster.com/articles4.htm

 

Sounds fun, anyway.

[Prince...]

but I need to already have a bachelors degree...

 

So i ask all of you common and uniquely minded people, what should I major in before I learn chinese medicine?

 

It does not matter what you study, as long as you finish undergrad. To my understanding, finishing a school that teaches TCM will give you at least a Master's degree upon completion. My friend who teaches me Taiji and Hsing-Yi finished the TCM school in New Mexico and is a licensed accupuncturist. His undergrad degree was in Religion, but he also attempted to attend grad school for someone that studies the root of languages or something like that. My Wingchun brother studies at Pacific and his undergrad degree is in Engineering.

 

So like I said, it does not really matter what you study in undergrad, as long as you finish. If you love Kungfu and such, I would recommend something like Asian studies where you can at least have the chance to learn Chinese/Japanese and be exposed to the languages if this is the route you are considering. Also some science and art classes may help with learning anatomy beforehand.

 

I hope this helps!

[Ryan T.]

but I need to already have a bachelors degree...

 

So i ask all of you common and uniquely minded people, what should I major in before I learn chinese medicine?

 

I would go into nursing. Having a blend of the west and the east would only be of benefit to you. Also, TCM can be a fairly saturated job market depending on where you live and even if it isn't it doesn't mean you can make a living doing it. Unless a person has unlimited resources they should look at school as an investment. At least with a nursing degree you would be able to make a living no matter what and once you started your TCM training you would always have sick people around for diagnosis. Plus, being able to be of use in an emergency is such a great gift. My $.02.

[shontonga]

Hi Pranaman!

So much to learn!

Acupuncture school is intense!

check out some classes in physiology

whatever can give you a foot in the door!

Lot's of times you still need to take prerequisite classes

If you can take them ahead of time all the better.

Some schools may want you to take them through their schools,

both because it's good for their school

and it introduces you to the "language and the thinking of the school"

Most tcm/acupuncture schools are glad to have you come in

and either interview or for an open house so you can check it out.

Would be VERY worth talking with someone from whatever school your looking at

like a guidance type person? and finding out what classes they would suggest.

Prince mentioned Pacific School, I know they have open houses continually!

You can send for info through e~mail.

 

Check out the schools first!!!

 

First, before even one!!!

Make sure your school is accredited

a good thing to do.

 

1. There are many kinds of acupuncture!!! Not just one!!!

find one that suits you! maybe try out different styles.

the "Worsly method"(sp?), 5 element, Chinese, Japanese, all the family styles, etc.

 

2. Some schools will have you sitting in classes for 2 years before you start working with folks,

other schools have you in clinic right away. There are benefits and drawbacks with both.

Find out what they are for you.

 

3. If you go t some schools you can practice anyplace(California)

if you go to others and decide to move you'll need to take a bunch more classes

to keep your license and keep practicing.

 

Also PLEASE,PLEASE,PLEASE

Take some business classes. Most schools have one or two VERY limited business classes

and when folks get out of school and try to start their own office,

most end up in a closet of their house poking folks with needles.

School is very intense.

and starting any business is also.

Most don't make 5 years, sorry to say.

 

If your giving acupuncture you will also have to teach your patients (inform)

psychology classes, public speaking, any thing

that teaches you how to interact with folks couldn't hurt!

 

 

Ok, sorry this is just a very quick post!

Hope it makes sense!

 

Stay well!

 

Shon

[Prince...]

After looking at some of the other posts, I agree that you should take some business classes if you intend on having your own practice. Also a nursing degree would be an excellent idea. If you are a nurse, you can get a job anywhere! A man at my church is a retired nurse, drawing his retirement pension, and he is also working on the side at a private practice a few days a week making even more money!

 

Depending on the area you go, yes, there will be a saturated market, and unfortunately, most people will prefer to see an asian person giving their treatments, so something you will need to take under consideration. I mentioned that I'm studying taiji under someone not long out of school. He practices out of his home and at a chiropractor's office until he can build up enough clientele to have his own practice.

 

Also, after I hit send on my original response, I thought about recommending kinesiology. If I could go back in time 10 years ago when I was deciding on what college to attend, I would whisper to myself to study kinesiology. From what I understand, it is not very difficult to study, but I come from a family of science geeks!

[松永道]

Any area of study will benefit studies in Chinese Medicine. TCM is the study of natural patterns, naturally you'll find these any where from economics to astrophysics. Of course a degree in Exercise Physiology, Applied Kinesiology, or the medical sciences are seemingly more applicable.

 

At its most essential, TCM is the study of man's relationship with nature and the cosmos. Natural phenomenon, movements of the macrocosm, serve not only as metaphors but as expressions of what happens within our bodies, movements of the microcosm.

 

As above, so below.

 

Where I to do it all again, I would have taken more earth science classes (as it was I studied medical sciences and theatre). But, in all earnest, just follow your interest. Every subject relates.

[funkytortoise]

the schools i'm applying for a masters in tcm at (five branches and berkely) only require two years of college. i've already finished one year. i took mostly art and psychology, but this year i'm going to take biology and some other things that would be helpful. i'm hoping that learning kung fu and cantonese will look good when i apply.

Edited July 25, 2008 by funkytortoise

[bindo]

Nursing is also an excellent suggestion.

 

I wanted to study exercise physiology and kinesiology when I was in college but most schools didn't offer those programs back in the early 80's.

 

The main reason I moved to California in '92 was to study TCM. I took a job managing a natural food store and met a guy who was offering customers a free TCM health assesment in the store. Six months later he was applying for a $7 per hour produce clerk job. He couldn't make a living as an acupuncurist here in the Bay area! That really turned me off and I put TCM study on hold. Then they raised the enrollment qualifications, (big mistake IMO) and my interest waned. I was way more interested in qigong by then anyway and consider it a higher form of healing.

 

Requiring a bachelors degree before being accepted to a TCM school requires a big, long term commitment. That's a lot of schooling! Two years of college may be acceptable, but I think many people who are interested in pursuing TCM are "alternative" types of people who aren't really drawn towards a traditional four year college degree, or even two years. So, the TCM community is missing out on many bright, creative, and devoted practitioners,imo.

Edited July 25, 2008 by bindo

[Xienkula1]

Good choices are as said Exercise Science, Molecular and Cell Biology, Nutrition, Nursing, if you are interested in these and you can see good reasons other than chinese medicine for studyinng them. It might be a good idea to find out exactly what science prerequisites are required, and maybe you could do a 2 year general science program, and possibly get in with that. If not, you could do an accellerated program in something related to your interests, like eastern religion, focusing on taoism. Many options, and best of grace!

[thelerner]

I don't know if anyone mentioned studying Chinese, say Mandarin

 

I like Prince's suggestion. Alternative medicine sounds great, but its very hard to establish yourself and make a good living from. Moving towards what will get you a nursing degree will make you much more employable. It will give you a way to slip into alternative medicine through Western medicines front door.

 

 

Michael

[turbo]

Get a business degree. In all likely hood you will have to start you own office and it will be essential that you understand how to run your business properly. If you plan on being successful you need to have a business that will provide for itself and for you. You will be able to provide higher level of service at your office when you are able to live more comfortably when you are away from your office.

 

Minor in communications so that you can learn to sell yourself and your service to others. You will need repeat business, the best way to do that is to communicate that you care about and want to help your clients. They need to know that, once they do and once you back that up with results they will send their friends and loved ones to you.

 

You can pick up all the other stuff along the way.

 

Good luck and don't believe the hype, its a hard way to make a living doing accupuncture until you get a solid client base and that can take years of hard work and low pay (in addition to the schooling).

[Pranaman]

I don't really want to make a living off of this. I have other ways to make enough money for life. This is all something for me to think about.

[WhiteTiger]

 

1. There are many kinds of acupuncture!!! Not just one!!!

find one that suits you! maybe try out different styles.

the "Worsly method"(sp?), 5 element, Chinese, Japanese, all the family styles, etc.

 

Shon

 

Which one do you practice and why... what do you think its strengths are and what do you think its weaknesses are? How do you personally go about practicing acupuncture?

[Taomeow]

I don't know if anyone mentioned studying Chinese, say Mandarin

 

I was just gonna...

[shontonga]

Which one do you practice and why... what do you think its strengths are and what do you think its weaknesses are? How do you personally go about practicing acupuncture?

 

 

Me?

 

 

It's a dream!

 

Not a reality for me! (yet?)

 

Study lot's of stuff on my own

but don't stick anyone with needles! ( yet?)

(no body will let me, i tell them pain is candy but ...?)

 

 

Practice martial arts ... so good to know!

 

 

Also work with energy all the time

and so it helps a lot with communication with folks.

Have to do a bunch of explaining.

It's a good system with a language already in place.

and understanding the elements comes natural to me

so the bases of a lot of it just makes sense.

Ayurvedic medicine though similar in many ways

gets much more confusing for this kid!(EXPECIALY The Herbs!!!)

Can understand a lot of it but So Can't speak it!

 

Grew up in/with a Cambodian family.

Was great exposer to a lot of things as a kid.

They came here as refugees,

they had nothing.

No shoes, no warm clothes (worst winter in my memory),

no medicines if they got sick.

So they did what they could.

The words would be different but learned some

Gua sha(spoon scraping!), Tuina(gut,feet,hands,&pinching),

cupping (jelly jar cupping with a candle)

A form of pinching (YELP!!!) pinch-twist-pull!

in rows up and down the back, up and down the legs

(specific manner of doing it, not just random!)

They used cooking/diet as medicine.

AWSOME FOOD! Can still smell it

 

I've never seen any charts or a meridian system

that would reflect what i'd see as a child.

Wish i had learned more then!

 

energy stuff was already known so didn't speak the language

but could explain it a little then,LOL.

was a very weird kid

 

A lot of the same points used though in the same manner, for the same thing.

Like P6, Li4,k1,St36, and what have you.

(You should all check out those points if you don't know them,LOL!)

lot of face points i still use if i'm sick!

Was my first introduction to "tiger in a can" aka, tiger balm!

 

Would go into more but tend to just start rambling on and this is already long!

 

If i go for acupuncture i tend to go for Chinese styles ... i actually like the deeper needling.

... of one well trained!

Japanese is very also good!

I like it all!

all good!

 

Have fun!

 

Shon

 

White tiger, books you like on acupuncture ?

for a mediocre-wanna-be-martialartist/student?