For the second year in a row Heerei Park, our Director of the Korean Language Master’s program, led a group of Five Branches students on a Study Abroad externship at Dae Jeon University and Dun San Oriental Medicine Hospital. This time around, students from the English program and the Chinese language program joined the Korean MTCM students. Students had two very packed weeks with activities scheduled from 9am-6pm including visiting each hospital’s various clinical departments.

In Korea, Traditional Korean Medicine, who’s origins can be found in Traditional Chinese Medicine, is very popular and highly esteemed. In fact, the competitive entrance requirements are equivalent to those of Western medical schools in the United States. The length of study for Traditional Korean Medical programs are six years. In Korea, the social medical system covers acupuncture treatments, but not medicinal herb prescriptions.

Dae Jeon University has four affiliated hospital facilities located in various provinces throughout South Korea. Dun San Hospital is most famous for its Oncology department, but it also has other notable clinical departments.
The hospital has over 300 out patients a day who are treated with a combination of Eastern and Western medicine.

Students also went to field trip to KIOM (Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine). This Nationally funded institute is doing many interesting research which can be approved scientifically for the Oriental Medicine. This Institute developed a machine to scan a patient’s body constitution in 4 different types: Tai Yang, Shao Yang, Tai Yin, Shao Yin, according to the SaSang Chejil, and has also to accurately located acupuncture points.

During the first half of the externship, students primarily focused on departments where herbs, western medicine, and moxibustion were combined in the form of injectable sterilized herbal formulations. During the latter half, students rotated among the various departments of the hospital including Oncology, Pediatrics, Gynecology and of course Neurology and Pain Management. Students also had the opportunity to observe non-surgical techniques for face lifting.

The relationship between the Five Branches University and Dae Jeon University were facilitated by a Five Branches University Korean MTCM Program student, Kang Seung Ku, who is also the president of the of the East Bay Chamber
of the Korean Commercial Association. Ron Zaidman, Five Branches President and CEO signed a mutual agreement with Dr. Yoo, Dong Yel , the president of the hospital . Since then, one of the Oncology doctors, Dr. Yoo, Hwa Seung, also a visiting scholar and MD Anderson, Texas, also, a very famous KTM doctor at Dun San Hospital, has visited Five Branches University’s San Jose campus and has taught various workshops to the Korean students.