How many years study is enough?

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

 

I have not time to go into detail on the many different views

expressed re shortie v longie undergrad training in AP / TCM.

 

Briefly, I believe that the study of any aspect of medicine (surgery,

dentistry, AP, herbs, tuina, whatever) must be lifelong.

 

What one learns at undergraduate level, in any discipline, is a

limited view, limited by:

- exposure to specific teachers (when there are tens of thousands

of teachers world-wide);

 

- reading only specific lecture notes and texts (when there are

millions of pages which could be read on and around the specific

discipline)

 

- the types of cases one sees in the school's clinics (when they

will encounter almost anything that one can think of in the real

world outside).

 

Medicine is evolving; new stuff appears every day. What one

learned last year needs to be updated this year, and next year ...

 

Depending on the country and college, veterinary medicine takes 3

to 8 years fulltime study at undergraduate level. In UCD (my Alma

Mater), it was a 5-year course. I was an honours student and did a

very good final written exam. But on the last day of my oral exam,

one of my professors said something to me that I will never forget.

The words may not be verbatim, but the message was:

 

" Phil, you are a very good student, but you know nothing of

practical veterinary medicine. What you have learned in this

university is how to study, how to analyse critically, etc. Now, go

into practice and begin to learn how to be a vet! "

 

IMO, the same applies to AP & TCM. In the end, it is clinical

results that matter.

 

People with exceptionally high qualifications on paper do not

necessarily make the best practitioners (or teachers), and people

with minimal formal education at undergraduate level can become

top class practitioners if they continue to study efficiently and

wisely lifelong.

 

 

Best regards,

 

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