Clinical Medicine (DAOM)

This module provides an advanced presentation of the etiology, differential diagnosis, and treatment of various diseases of the musculo-skeletal system and orthopedic disorders as well as pain management as it relates to orthopedic conditions. TCM theories related to musculo-skeletal conditions as well as international scientific differential diagnosis will be discussed. Faculty will share their personal clinical experience in treating physical injuries, orthopedic conditions, and pain management.   Upon completion of this module, you will have general skills to perform orthopedic examinations, and to use imaging technology to aid in the diagnosis and determination of the most effective treatment protocols.

Master level clinical courses

This module covers the etiology, pathogenesis, syndrome differentiation, treatment principles and treatment therapies of the most common dermatological disorders. These disorders include Viral Dermatitis, Herpes Simplex, Herpes Zoster, Hives, and Eczema. A TCM clinic demonstration on treating dermatologic disorders is included, enabling you to have practical hands-on experience.   Upon completion of this module, you will be able to perform basic diagnosis and pattern differentiation on the most common dermatologic disorders and give corresponding treatments, viewing the most common dermatologic disorders from both a TCM and Western medicine perspective.

Master level clinical courses

This module will familiarize you with the etiology, pattern differentiation, and treatment principles of common disorders of the eyes, ears, nose, and throat (EENT). An integrative approach to common conditions such as myopia, hordeolum, tinnitus and deafness, otopyorrhea, rhinitis, toothache, laryngitis and pharyngitis will be discussed in-depth. You will also learn to recognize red-flags that might suggest a more serious pathology, requiring referral.   Upon completion of this module, you will have gained an in-depth understanding of how to perform an EENT-related physical exam, assess and diagnose EENT conditions from both a TCM and Western medicine perspective, and treat these conditions with acupuncture and herbs.

Master level clinical courses

This module is designed to acquaint you with the presentation, evaluation, and management of patients with Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes. This module reviews the body’s control mechanisms for insulin production and how insulin acts to maintain metabolic homeostasis. Faculty will present case studies illustrating abnormalities in the function of the endocrine system, particularly insulin production.   Upon completion of this module, you will have the knowledge to diagnose diabetes from a TCM and Western medicine perspective, identify its TCM patterns, formulate treatment plans, and prescribe both herbal and acupuncture treatments.

Master level clinical courses

This module reviews diagnosis of pathologies of the digestive tract, liver and pancreas. Topics are presented through an integrative approach, where differential diagnosis is performed based on both symptomatic and pathological viewpoints. The symptomatic viewpoint will include signs and symptoms such as vomiting, hiccup, diarrhea/ constipation, and gastric/ abdominal pain while the pathologic approach will be disease oriented (IBS, hernia, etc).   Upon completion of this module, you will be able to recognize red flags and make necessary referrals, perform disease diagnosis of gastro-intestinal conditions through Eastern/Western integrative approaches, identify their patterns, devise treatment plans, and administer appropriate herbal and acupuncture treatments.

Master level clinical courses

This module will review the diagnosis and treatment of the endocrine system from both Western medicine perspective and TCM pattern differentiation. Topics to be discussed will include anatomy and physiology, and hormones and pathologies.  Acupuncture and herbal protocols will be presented for the following conditions: diabetes, adrenal exhaustion, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, Cushing’s syndrome, Hashimoto’s disease, menopause, and infertility. Upon completion of this module, you will have gained an in-depth understanding of the endocrine system and its diseases. You will be able to assess and diagnose endocrine conditions from both a TCM and Western medicine perspective, and treat these conditions effectively with acupuncture and herbs.

Master level clinical courses

This module gives a general overview and evaluates recent advances in cardiovascular medicine as well as differential diagnosis of TCM patterns. You will become familiar with the use of various cardiovascular imaging modalities (echo, nuclear, catheterization, CT,MRI). Emphasis will be given to the pathophysiology of cardiac illness, physical diagnosis, electrocardiography (EKG reports) and patient management. Topics include: valvular heart disease, infective endocarditis, pulmonary hypertension, coronary artery disease: acute and chronic, the electrical system of the heart, myocardial, pericardial and vascular diseases, congenital heart disease, and heart failure.   Upon completion of this module, you will be able to recognize coronary red flags and risk factors, diagnose cardiovascular conditions according to disease and pattern differentiation, and treat them with acupuncture and herbs.

Master level clinical courses

This module introduces a method for integrating the patient interview and neurological examination with an analytical approach to neurological diagnosis and management. Cases are presented and discussed in terms of both TCM and Western medicine approaches. This module is designed to provide further understanding of the basic principles of neurological diagnosis, including the evaluation of neurological signs and symptoms and laboratory procedures for conditions such as insomnia, epilepsy, facial paralysis, wind stroke, headache (including trigeminal neuralgia), Alzheimer disease, Parkinson’s disease, and Wei syndrome.   Upon completion of this course, you will demonstrate a general knowledge of the evaluation of neurological disorders and able to determine the most effective treatment protocol using acupuncture and herbal formulas.

Master level clinical courses

Proper function and malfunction of the immune system will be reviewed from both Western and Chinese medical points of view. Allergy and asthma, irritable bowel syndrome as well as the more complex autoimmune disorders such as Lupus and other rheumatic pathologies will be discussed.   Upon completion of this module, you will have gained an in-depth understanding of how biomedicine and Chinese medicine view the function and malfunction of the immune system. You will also be able to apply treatments for the allergy and immunology conditions taught in class and analyze similar conditions based on materials presented.

Master level clinical courses

This module provides in-depth knowledge and skills to diagnose gynecological diseases from TCM and Western medicine perspectives, identify disease patterns, devise treatment plans, and administer appropriate herbal and acupuncture treatments. Faculty will share valuable clinical experiences in the treatment of pre/postmenstrual conditions, dysmenorrheal conditions, infertility, and pre/post-partum care.   Upon completion of this module, you will have gained competency in reading and evaluating lab reports, and improvement in gynecology and obstetrics clinical performance.

Master level clinical courses

This module presents the interrelation between the child’s environmental, social, and educational factors and his/her growth and development. It emphasizes the unique socio-behavioral aspects of interacting with the pediatric-family population. You will be exposed to management of common pediatric diseases such as immunity and allergic conditions, gastrointestinal tract disorders and respiratory diseases, and psychiatric disorders. Other conditions such as enuresis and ear infection will be discussed as well as the use of pediatric tuina and acupuncture needling techniques.   Upon completion of this module, you will acquire understanding of the factors involved in the normal physical and mental evaluation of a child from birth to adolescence, and will be able to recognize and understand common childhood diseases, their diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.

Master level clinical courses

This module presents an overview of psychopathology and psychotherapy techniques. It examines the development of human behavior across the life span. Within a developmental context, you will explore the dynamics of human behavior as determined by intrapersonal systems, interpersonal connections, societal patterns, and cultural influences and as altered by significant life events. Topics such as applied psychotherapy techniques, and depth psychotherapy techniques for manic-depressive syndrome will be discussed. Lectures and clinical training will be from both TCM and Western medicine perspectives to allow you to have a more comprehensive understanding of this fast growing field.   Upon completion of this module, you will be able to practice basic psychotherapy techniques in clinic, confidently handle patients with psychological complaints, and select appropriate herbal and acupuncture treatments.  

Master level clinical courses

This module provides a comprehensive discussion on how pain is treated using principles of Master Tung’s acupuncture. Starting from an overview of the foundation principles of Tung’s acupuncture, the module gradually enters into the more specific pains. Tung’s principles in the treatment of pain are introduced in a systematic way to guide you into the deeper and practical use of these points. The features of Tung’s extra points and pattern differentiation are discussed as an overview to the theoretical foundation of Tung’s extra points. The specific pains in different parts of the body, including those caused by viscera diseases, follows the overview. Clinic demonstrations on how to practically use the principles and technique will enable you to have practical hands-on experience.   Upon completion of this module, you will have learned the basic principles and academic thought of Master Tung’s acupuncture, allowing you to practice these techniques in your clinic to treat various pain conditions.

Master level clinical courses

In this module, you will learn to apply the Five Elements to diagnose and treat the Qi that underlies our inner nature. You will explore the elements in greater depth in terms of Jungian archetypal models, the Eight Trigrams of the I Ching, and their corresponding family of the Twelve Officials. There will be multiple practical exercises to bring these concepts into their clinical applications. This module will cover how imbalances in the Officials express themselves in the patients’ physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual lives. You will explore how imbalances in one Official affect the associated elemental pair, its Ko cycle pair, and the creative Shen cycle.   Upon completion of this module, you will have gained a deeper understanding of the relationships between Five Element theory and other classical Western and Eastern models, especially addressing emotional issues and spiritual levels. Your skills in choosing points will be increased, which will support the patient’s psychological and spiritual well-being. You will also develop a more personal relationship with the Officials, which will enhance your ability to recognize and treat the Officials directly.

Master level clinical courses

This module is a practical introduction to Abdominal Acupuncture, a unique therapeutic system created by Prof. Zhi-yun Bo based upon over thirty years of clinical research and his discovery of the prenatal channel system, the Shen Que. Abdominal Acupuncture integrates Western medicine diagnosis with Zangfu pattern identification, using disease-specific point formulas with a manualized treatment procedure protocol. These characteristics improve clinical results, enable reproducibility for clinical research, and make it safe and virtually painless. It is ideal for harmonizing organ qi and blood and treating chronic disease.   The Abdominal Acupuncture module focuses on the treatment of chronic musculoskeletal pain, and diseases of the neck, back and upper and lower extremities. You will learn the basic theory of this therapeutic system, related to its clinical application, point location techniques, point functions, and the treatment application protocol. Point formulas for common but complex neurological and orthopedic disorders such as stiff neck, cervical spondylosis, lumbar vertebral disease, degenerative bone and joint disease of the knee, and sciatica will be discussed. Evaluation techniques for these issues will also be reviewed in detail.

Master level clinical courses

In the works of many physicians of Chinese medicine, qi dynamic and qi transformation constitute central aspects of physiology, pathology and therapeutics. In modern TCM, the physiology and pathology of qi is often reduced to the function of a single organ – the liver –significantly reducing the scope of a more complex understanding of life, reducing therapeutic effectiveness. This module will deepen your understanding of qi physiology through the study of classical sources. These sources will relate directly to classical and modern case studies, making them relevant to everyday clinical practice. Topics covered are: qi transformation and the qi dynamic, the physiology and pathology of different types of qi, and acupuncture and herbal medicine treatment strategies for qi pathologies.   Upon completion of this course, you will be able to improve your knowledge and skills by gaining a deeper understanding of qi and its physiology and pathology, experiencing different types of qi in your own body and in your patients, and learning how to diagnose, differentiate and treat different types of qi pathology.

Master level clinical courses

This course consists of two presentations followed by discussion and debate, to engage students to become more self-reflective on issues of the Chinese medicine research process, to open new avenues for how clinical research in Chinese medicine might be conducted. These two presentations center on controversial issues surrounding TCM research in an evidence-based healthcare setting: (1) From hierarchies to process in Chinese medicine research, and (2) Emergent versus enforced consensus: interdisciplinary action research as new model for Chinese medicine research.   Upon completion of this module, you will have gained an understanding of research in relation to Chinese medicine in a manner that is both theoretically meaningful and clinically relevant to your own practice. Using the research on menopause as an example, you will learn an interdisciplinary research program that places the need of practitioners and patients first.

Master level clinical courses

In this module, you will review 16 strategies for treating the Spleen, emphasizing the influence of the “Yishui current” of Zhang Yuansu and his student Li Dongyuan, the continuation of their ideas in the doctrines of the “warm supplementation current” associated with physicians such as a Zhang Jiebin and Zhao Xianke, and their later critics such as Ye Tianshi.   Upon completion of this module, you will be able to treat spleen disorders more effectively, using the 16 strategies, and will have gained an in-depth understanding on the transformation of ideas from the “Yishui current” to “Warm Supplementation current” through history.

Master level clinical courses

Today, Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is practiced worldwide, rivaling biomedicine in terms of its globalization. One of the most common TCM diagnoses is “Liver qi constraint,” commonly treated by an herbal formula dating back to the 10th century. In everyday TCM, biomedical disease categories such as depression or anxiety, and popular disease categories such as stress are often conflated with the Chinese medical notion of constraint. Medical anthropologists, meanwhile, argue that constraint reveals to us a distinctive aesthetics of constructing body/persons in Chinese culture, while psychologists seek to define constraint as a distinctive psychiatric disorder distinctive from depression and anxiety. All of these actors agree in defining constraint as a concept dating back two thousand years to the very origins of Chinese medicine. This module disassembles the articulations by means of which these different facts about constraint are constructed. It shows how ideas about constraint as a disorder caused by the penetration of external pathogens into the body were gradually transformed from the eleventh century onward into constraint as an emotion-related disorder, while treatment strategies were adjusted to match perceptions about body/self that developed among the gentry elite of southeast China in late imperial China.   Upon completion of this module, you will understand how constraint as a disorder, caused by the penetration of external pathogens into the body, were gradually transformed from the eleventh century onward into constraint as an emotion-related disorder.

Master level clinical courses