Guest guest Posted April 8, 2008 Report Share Posted April 8, 2008 I think that studying in China, even for as little as two weeks, is extremely important to really gain an understanding of this medicine, why and what it is. Until or unless you see this medicine being practiced in its native environment, you're never going to understanding " where it's coming from. " Sure, you're not going to become a CM infertility specialist in two weeks. But you will come back with a whole new appreciation for and understanding of this medicine -- be it good or bad. Until or unless you go to China, you're like the seven blind men and the elephant. Looking back today, anything good in my education and practice of CM began with my first trip to China (which happened 3-4 years after beginning to practice). That's not to denigrate my teachers from before going to China, but until I went, I really was not able to put those previous teachings into meaningful perspective. Bob , " eranee " <eranee wrote: > > I agree with Trevor completely. > The oppurtunity to see 50-60 patients a day is an experience not to be missed and an > oppurtunity that is just not available to us training in North America where we are lucky to > see 10-15 a day at most. > Of course if you can speak Chinese then you will be able to delve slightly deeper into the > practice, or you will just have to rely on a translator. and hope that they are taking their > time and translating everything that is happening. > > I spent a year training in Beijing and speak Chinese so I'm not sure what it would be like to > have a translator, but I did interpret for Medical Students from Europe and because I was > also doing lots of the needling (and trying to learn myself), I didn't have enough time to > translate all that was being thrown at me and I feel I didn't give them as much as they > could have had. I would not have liked having me as an interpreter! > As long as you have a good translator, I believe you should be fine. > > Good Luck, > > Eran Even > > > > > > , " Trevor Erikson " <trevor_erikson@> > wrote: > > > > I think the experience of a CHinese hospital is NOT to be missed. > > There are so many things that start to sink in in regards to this > > medicine, while being exposed to the culture that it stems from. Sure > > the experience will be better and deeper if one can speak chinese, but > > the experience is still worthwhile and meaningful, as it was for me. > > > > I spent 6 weeks in the CM hospital in Cheng Sha, Hunan, and was > > completely transformed by it. I don't speak chinese, but I did have a > > really good translator who gave me complete one on one time with the > > Dos in every department. I think this is a big part of have a good > > experience, having access to a good translator. Many people I talk to > > are stuffed into clinic rooms with a translator who is working for up > > to 6 people or so at a time. The observing docs cannot ask any > > questions and basically get " lost in translation. " This was not my > > experience. My translator worked hard for me. I asked constant > > questions and she strived to answer them for me through dialogue with > > the patients and Doctor. > > > > Having access to a good traditional Doctor makes a difference as well. > > It is good knowing that you can change both your translator and/ or > > Doctor that you are training with. Many docs practice a very westernized. > > > > I spent most of my time in the dermatology and pediatric departments. > > I will tell you that nothing can compare to seeing 50+ patients a day > > in a very focused environment. I started to learn really fast how to > > tell the difference between the differing types of psoriasis, eczema, > > tinea, ect. This was a huge missing link in my 5 years of training in > > North America. > > > > The exposure to the culture was huge for me as well. Being able to see > > how the medicine we practice here is practiced in such a huger way > > over there, allowed me to gain a lot of faith in the medicine. Nothing > > compares to the level of CM being practiced in a Chinese hospital > > compared to that of a small north american clinic. Something shifted > > in me while I was there and realized how many aspects of Chinese > > medicine and the CHinese culture have survived for thousands of years > > through an unbroken passage of time. > > > > I believe it is vital to have these experiences first hand. IF we are > > going to practice Chinese medicine, we need to be exposed to the > > culture from which it came from. Nothing compares. > > > > Trevor > > > > , " " > > <taiqi@> wrote: > > > > > > Obviously one needs both types of knowledge. I disagree with Gabe in > > > that I've done 3 trips: 2 weeks, one month and two months and found > > > the experiences invaluable. The knowledge comes in bulk not in the > > > details of cases. There Is a lot of frustration in not getting those > > > details but like every China experience if you can roll with it, > > > nothing compares. The experience of seeing doctors write prescription > > > after prescription is another type of knowledge. Take notes, pinyin is > > > pinyin, think of it as observing not studying and you'll avoid a lot > > > some of the frustration. > > > > > > Doug > > > > > > (Richard- send me a note. I've got a former student who has contacts > > > set up in Chengdu. Also your email on file at CHA seems to be faulty.) > > > > > > , " fuentes120 " > > > <fuentes120@> wrote: > > > > > > > > --Hi Richard > > > > > > > > Just a suggestion, I would suggest that if you are really looking to > > > > learn something from a two week trip at a hospital in the mainland > > > > or any other place in Asia, not to do it unless your Chinese is good > > > > enough and you know exactly what you want to learn. You will be > > > > better off to buy Bob Flaw¡¦s Course on Gynecology from Blue poppy. > > > > I don¡¦t have it but I have had other courses from them, you will > > > > learn a whole lot more and the way they present the info will be > > > > more useful to you than notes taken from an interpreter that may not > > > > even convey the right information to you. I did a summer internship > > > > at CMU and I did not know Chinese at the time, in hindsight it was a > > > > waste of time because nothing was ever clear, I did learn some > > > > interesting things, but after learning Chinese for two years there > > > > is just no comparison to the kind of info that you can get. Example: > > > > two years ago during my summer internship I was with a group of > > > > students and the doctor on staff made a comment that lasted at least > > > > five minutes about a certain patient all in Chinese, and then turned > > > > to me and said we need to move Qi and Blood. I was thinking what the > > > > hell. So if you just want to take a trip to China, fine. If you want > > > > to learn something well, learn from people that are reputable and > > > > have already broken it down for you in the best way possible. > > > > Best of luck > > > > Gabe Fuentes > > > > - In , " richblit " <richblit@> > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > Hi All, > > > > > I am a practitioner from Chicago thinking of studying in > > > > Chengdu for > > > > > a few weeks. I would like to follow a fertility specialist on > > > > their > > > > > rounds focusing on herbal treatment. > > > > > If anyone has studied in Chengdu I would love to get some feedback > > > > by > > > > > email and any contacts anyone might have. > > > > > Thanks, > > > > > Richard Blitstein > > > > > richblit@ > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 9, 2008 Report Share Posted April 9, 2008 , " Bob Flaws " <pemachophel2001 wrote: > > I think that studying in China, even for as little as two weeks, is > extremely important to really gain an understanding of this medicine, > why and what it is. Until or unless you see this medicine being > practiced in its native environment, you're never going to > understanding " where it's coming from. " Sure, you're not going to > become a CM infertility specialist in two weeks. But you will come > back with a whole new appreciation for and understanding of this > medicine -- be it good or bad. Until or unless you go to China, you're > like the seven blind men and the elephant. > I would agree with everyone in that the experience of seeing one hundred patients a day and the cultural experience alone is well worth the trip, it definitely puts everything in to context, and that is very important. My initial suggestion was based on cost time and what you really get out of in terms of theory, rationalization process and so on, two weeks is just not enough, it tuck me four days just to get rid of my jet lag. My first experience in an Asian hospital made me realize that there was a lot more that I needed to learn and one big part was learning the reasoning process, but you have to learn the language in order to communicate with the physicians, which for me is the most important thing, because that¡¦ s where you learn valuable clinical information. I have not been to Chendu but if Pacific students are involved and have some programs set up, definitely go for it; they¡¦ll have good translators and good guanxi so you will have no problems learning some good stuff. Just make sure to prepare all your questions ahead of time so you can get more bang out of your buck, specially if it¡¦s a US Buck. Best of luck Gabe Fuentes > Looking back today, anything good in my education and practice of CM > began with my first trip to China (which happened 3-4 years after > beginning to practice). That's not to denigrate my teachers from > before going to China, but until I went, I really was not able to put > those previous teachings into meaningful perspective. > > Bob > > , " eranee " <eranee@> wrote: > > > > I agree with Trevor completely. > > The oppurtunity to see 50-60 patients a day is an experience not to > be missed and an > > oppurtunity that is just not available to us training in North > America where we are lucky to > > see 10-15 a day at most. > > Of course if you can speak Chinese then you will be able to delve > slightly deeper into the > > practice, or you will just have to rely on a translator. and hope > that they are taking their > > time and translating everything that is happening. > > > > I spent a year training in Beijing and speak Chinese so I'm not sure > what it would be like to > > have a translator, but I did interpret for Medical Students from > Europe and because I was > > also doing lots of the needling (and trying to learn myself), I > didn't have enough time to > > translate all that was being thrown at me and I feel I didn't give > them as much as they > > could have had. I would not have liked having me as an interpreter! > > As long as you have a good translator, I believe you should be fine. > > > > Good Luck, > > > > Eran Even > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > , " Trevor Erikson " > <trevor_erikson@> > > wrote: > > > > > > I think the experience of a CHinese hospital is NOT to be missed. > > > There are so many things that start to sink in in regards to this > > > medicine, while being exposed to the culture that it stems from. Sure > > > the experience will be better and deeper if one can speak chinese, but > > > the experience is still worthwhile and meaningful, as it was for me. > > > > > > I spent 6 weeks in the CM hospital in Cheng Sha, Hunan, and was > > > completely transformed by it. I don't speak chinese, but I did have a > > > really good translator who gave me complete one on one time with the > > > Dos in every department. I think this is a big part of have a good > > > experience, having access to a good translator. Many people I talk to > > > are stuffed into clinic rooms with a translator who is working for up > > > to 6 people or so at a time. The observing docs cannot ask any > > > questions and basically get " lost in translation. " This was not my > > > experience. My translator worked hard for me. I asked constant > > > questions and she strived to answer them for me through dialogue with > > > the patients and Doctor. > > > > > > Having access to a good traditional Doctor makes a difference as well. > > > It is good knowing that you can change both your translator and/ or > > > Doctor that you are training with. Many docs practice a very > westernized. > > > > > > I spent most of my time in the dermatology and pediatric departments. > > > I will tell you that nothing can compare to seeing 50+ patients a day > > > in a very focused environment. I started to learn really fast how to > > > tell the difference between the differing types of psoriasis, eczema, > > > tinea, ect. This was a huge missing link in my 5 years of training in > > > North America. > > > > > > The exposure to the culture was huge for me as well. Being able to see > > > how the medicine we practice here is practiced in such a huger way > > > over there, allowed me to gain a lot of faith in the medicine. Nothing > > > compares to the level of CM being practiced in a Chinese hospital > > > compared to that of a small north american clinic. Something shifted > > > in me while I was there and realized how many aspects of Chinese > > > medicine and the CHinese culture have survived for thousands of years > > > through an unbroken passage of time. > > > > > > I believe it is vital to have these experiences first hand. IF we are > > > going to practice Chinese medicine, we need to be exposed to the > > > culture from which it came from. Nothing compares. > > > > > > Trevor > > > > > > , " " > > > <taiqi@> wrote: > > > > > > > > Obviously one needs both types of knowledge. I disagree with Gabe in > > > > that I've done 3 trips: 2 weeks, one month and two months and found > > > > the experiences invaluable. The knowledge comes in bulk not in the > > > > details of cases. There Is a lot of frustration in not getting those > > > > details but like every China experience if you can roll with it, > > > > nothing compares. The experience of seeing doctors write > prescription > > > > after prescription is another type of knowledge. Take notes, > pinyin is > > > > pinyin, think of it as observing not studying and you'll avoid a lot > > > > some of the frustration. > > > > > > > > Doug > > > > > > > > (Richard- send me a note. I've got a former student who has contacts > > > > set up in Chengdu. Also your email on file at CHA seems to be > faulty.) > > > > > > > > , " fuentes120 " > > > > <fuentes120@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > --Hi Richard > > > > > > > > > > Just a suggestion, I would suggest that if you are really > looking to > > > > > learn something from a two week trip at a hospital in the > mainland > > > > > or any other place in Asia, not to do it unless your Chinese > is good > > > > > enough and you know exactly what you want to learn. You will be > > > > > better off to buy Bob Flaw¡¦s Course on Gynecology from Blue > poppy. > > > > > I don¡¦t have it but I have had other courses from them, you will > > > > > learn a whole lot more and the way they present the info will be > > > > > more useful to you than notes taken from an interpreter that > may not > > > > > even convey the right information to you. I did a summer > internship > > > > > at CMU and I did not know Chinese at the time, in hindsight it > was a > > > > > waste of time because nothing was ever clear, I did learn some > > > > > interesting things, but after learning Chinese for two years > there > > > > > is just no comparison to the kind of info that you can get. > Example: > > > > > two years ago during my summer internship I was with a group of > > > > > students and the doctor on staff made a comment that lasted at > least > > > > > five minutes about a certain patient all in Chinese, and then > turned > > > > > to me and said we need to move Qi and Blood. I was thinking > what the > > > > > hell. So if you just want to take a trip to China, fine. If > you want > > > > > to learn something well, learn from people that are reputable and > > > > > have already broken it down for you in the best way possible. > > > > > Best of luck > > > > > Gabe Fuentes > > > > > - In , " richblit " <richblit@> > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > Hi All, > > > > > > I am a practitioner from Chicago thinking of studying in > > > > > Chengdu for > > > > > > a few weeks. I would like to follow a fertility specialist on > > > > > their > > > > > > rounds focusing on herbal treatment. > > > > > > If anyone has studied in Chengdu I would love to get some > feedback > > > > > by > > > > > > email and any contacts anyone might have. > > > > > > Thanks, > > > > > > Richard Blitstein > > > > > > richblit@ > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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