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University News

Highland Hospital Welcomes FBU Students in Residency Program

Five Branches University students complete clinical residency requirements alongside Western medical students in outpatient and inpatient rounds.

The Picture above shows Ms. Angela Tu, LAc, Five Branches University Board Chair and Dr Amy Matecki, ICMI President and Chief of Integrative Medicine at Highland Hospital, surrounded by students of Five Branches University during hospital residency.

Five Branches University, the International Center for Integrative Medicine and Highland Hospital are proud of this first TCM residency in the United States, and we look forward to establishing more TCM residencies in U.S. hospitals.

Meeting the rigorous requirements of a hospital residency, Five Branches University TCM students show up before 8am and join Western medical students to follow MD’s and LAc’s in their inpatient and outpatient rounds. The residency includes attending, participating and presenting at grand rounds.

This opportunity has been an exhilarating and rewarding learning experience for our TCM students where they can see Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine being integrated in a real world setting.

Student Kamolluck Trateng wrote:

It was unbelievably amazing. I have spent hours reading about Leukemia on Wednesday night and got some info but after attending the 1st Hematology session yesterday I have a much better understanding what has been done on the Leukemia patients. I learned so much in the best quality that is absorbable and practical information in one day. Having permission to be in all classes the program provided I feel blessed. My wish comes true. Thank you so much for every effort your extraordinary team put for us. I will do my best to keep up and read ahead even though English is my 2nd language. I will tell every FBU student that nothing can beat this residency program.

Student Leslie Yedor wrote:

My experience yesterday was profoundly positive. I was highly engaged in each aspect of the day, my current level of knowledge (both TCM and western) was tested, and I was given clear direction for pursuing a deeper understanding of both systems of medicine and how to integrate them. This is the level of education I have been searching for. My request to our advisors is to continue to push me. Hold me accountable for everything you wish me to know. Set the bar high. I spoke with Dr. Matecki today about the possibility of researching the effects of acupuncture on chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy. I would greatly appreciate support and direction in becoming involved in research at Highland. I cannot thank you all enough for your time and dedication.

Five Branches University, the International Center for Integrative Medicine and Highland Hospital are proud of this first TCM residency in the United States, and we look forward to establishing more TCM residencies in U.S. hospitals.

 

TCM & Acupuncture Blog

TCM and Acupuncture for Infertility

Infertility has became a common issue nowadays. Couples spend thousands dollar on different kinds of fertility Western treatment but the result may not meet their expectation. So are there any other solutions?Yes, Traditional Chinese Medicine is the way you may want to go. It’s natural, cost efficient and most importantly it works well.We are happy to have Professor Danling Zhang to give us a lecture on how TCM can help with infertility.And acupuncture definitely can help. And how we can do it? “Some fertility Western treatments said, “Okay about 10% of the women they are having infertility issue.” I think that number is about true and then in this area, it might be a little bit more. So here is the number, so about 60% of the women aged between 15 to 44 that has, it’s hard to conceive. And then plus some of the women, they have miscarriage, or some other reason that cannot carry the baby to full term, that’s up to about 12%, so that’s relevant. About 10% people, they are having fertility issue. And acupuncture definitely can help.”

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University News

Chinese Medicine: Treating High Blood Pressure with Acupuncture

Researches from the Center of Integrative Medicine, U.C. Irvine in collaboration with East Hospital in Shanghai, China, and the Southern CA University of Health Sciences recently published an article on the long term effects of weekly electro-acupuncture on mild to moderate hypertension.

Researches from the Center of Integrative Medicine, U.C. Irvine in collaboration with East Hospital in Shanghai, China, and the Southern CA University of Health Sciences recently published an article in the Medical Acupuncture Magazine on the effects of electro- acupuncture on reducing blood pressure among patients with hypertension.

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University News

Five Branches University Students Awarded Henan TCM University Scholarship

Five Branches University is one of only three TCM universities in the U.S. that were awarded the opportunity to receive a scholarship for advanced clinical studies in Henan, China.

This Chinese government sponsored scholarship is offered through Henan TCM University.  The University was founded in 1958 and is located in Zhengzhou, the capital city of Henan province (north of Beijing).  It is one of the earliest established TCM universities in China and is the base for international promotion of Chinese culture and TCM including the qualification test department and education base of World Federation of Acupuncture-Moxibustion Societies.

The annual scholarship is offered to non-Chinese MTCM, DTCM or DAOM students, who have completed at least a quarter of their TCM training and are in good academic standing.  The award for the three months spring 2016 scholarship was awarded to a Five Branches MTCM graduate and DAOM student.  The scholarship covers tuition, room and board as well as a small stipend for personal needs.  Last summer four of our Chinese DAOM students earned this scholarship for advanced clinical studies at Henan TCM University.

University News

2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine is granted to a Chinese Medical researcher

Groundbreaking and historical news for the Traditional Chinese Medicine community. For the first time in history, the Nobel Prize committee has granted an award to a Traditional Chinese Medicine researcher, Dr. Youyou Tu, for her work in Physiology and Medicine.

In response to failing Malaria treatments,  Dr. Tu and her team from the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences in Beijing created an effective alternative treatment using the Chinese herb Artemisia annua (Qing Hao Su 青蒿素). You can read more about this exciting development by clicking on the link provided: https://theconversation.com/is-the-2015-nobel-prize-a-turning-point-for-traditional-chinese-medicine-48643

This is an important milestone for the profession and for the future of integrative medicine. It is my hope that this development will continue leading patients and western health care physicians to pursue an integrative dialogue in their health and wellness activities.

 

University News

The World Health Organization Meets at Five Branches University for Field Trials on New ICD-11 Traditional Medicine Codes

On December 10, Five Branches University is honored to host the World Health Organization (WHO) at our San Jose campus for the field trials of the new ICD-11 codes which will include ™ Codes (Traditional Medicine).

ICD codes, the International Classifications of Diseases codes, is the international standard diagnostic tool for epidemiology, health management and clinical purposes. The ICD is maintained by the World Health Organization (WHO), the directing and coordinating authority for health within the United Nations System.
In 2012 the WHO conducted a survey in countries around the world and found that 82% of the world’s population is using some form of integrated medicine where Chinese Medicine was a leading form.  Therefore, Chinese medicine became the first among complementary medicine to have a set of diagnostic codes aside of Western Medicine.  For the first time in history, ICD codes will include TCM terminology such as Spleen Qi Deficiency or Liver Qi Stagnation. The significance of this for research and the acceptance of TCM in heatlhcare worldwide can not be overstated.

Dr Heerei Park, faculty and Director of the Korean program at Five Branches University, is one of many subject experts assisting WHO.

Ms Marilyn Allen, Director at the American Acupuncture Council and ambassador to our profession in the U.S., has been working tirelessly with WHO and Stanford University in developing the new ICD-11 T.M. (Traditional Medicine) codes.

University News

Five Branches University Offers Residency Internship at Highland Hospital in Oakland

Beginning January 14, 2016 Five Branches students will join LAc’s, MD’s and western medicine students in residency training in both the outpatient clinic and the inpatient wards in Highland Hospital, a leading community hospital in Oakland, California. This residency has been six years in the making and marks an important milestone for TCM students to receive hospital training. Students will receive orientations on hospital procedures and will have the opportunity to observe the treatment of hundreds of patients in outpatient and inpatient settings. We anticipate that this experience will open many doors for work after graduation.
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University News

Five Branches University Launches New Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine (DTCM) Program

Starting in Spring 2016, students entering Five Branches University to become Licensed Acupuncturists and Herbalists will earn the Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine degree. Students will also be granted the Master of Traditional Chinese Medicine degree in order to sit for the National and State Certification and Licensing exams.

With this development, the profession of Traditional Chinese Medicine joins other healthcare professions with an entry-level first professional doctorate degree — such as MD’s, DC’s, and ND’s.

This development integrates the Institute of Medicine core competencies for all 21st century health professions and will hopefully bring TCM practices to be acceptable by Medicare, the federal health care insurance for people over 65 years of age.

For entering students, the Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine programs requires three to four years of study and three years of undergraduate study.

The University continues to offer the postgraduate Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine that is for Licensed Practitioners.  This is a two-year program offered once a month in 4-day weekend modules and focused on advanced clinical practice, specializations, pedagogy, research and integrative medicine.

We congratulate the profession for attaining this new standard, the Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine, for students entering this growing profession.