Traditional Tibetan Medicine Elective, Qinghai (Amdo), China

Introduction:

Recently, traditional Tibetan Medicine, with its nearly 4000 years of history and practice, has gained increasing attention and acceptance worldwide. Previously, there were no official medical electives for students to study traditional Tibetan medicine in China. The collaboration between the Qinghai University Tibetan Medical College in Xining (Siling, Amdo), and Stanford Medical School is the first of its kind for both institutions. The first cohort of students participated in the 4-week rotation in the summer of 2007.

Tibetan Medicine Hospital, Xining (Siling, Amdo)

Program Goals for Students:

See patients with experienced preceptors while learning the basic theories of traditional Tibetan medicine in a seminar setting
Learn about the changing interactions between traditional Tibetan medicine and western biomedicine
Learn about the public health situation in ethnically Tibetan regions and what the community is doing to make improvements
Learn about the Chinese national health care system

Thangka depicting medical plants

Program Includes (click here for PDF of 2007 course schedule):

A four week rotation at the Qinghai University Tibetan Medical College and its affiliated hospital, in Xining (Siling, Amdo), PRC
10 hours a week of seminars to introduce traditional Tibetan Medicine (history, theory, diagnosis, treatment). Classes are taught by the medical colleges most senior professors
10 hours a week of clinical exposure in outpatient and inpatient settings
5 hours a week of language training in conversational Chinese or Tibetan
Weekly lunches with in country director who is trained in both Tibetan and biomedicine
Weekly informal meetings with NGO (non-governmental organizations such as Trace Foundation, Bridge Fund, Shem Group) representatives involved in public health projects in ethnically Tibetan regions such as Qinghai (Amdo)
Weekly trips within the city to sites such as the pharmaceutical factory where traditional Tibetan medicines are made, and to the Tibetan Medicine Museum
Weekend trips outside of Xining (Siling, Amdo) for medicinal plant collection, visiting nomadic villages and rural clinics, and site-seeing trips to Qinghai Lake and Kumbum Monastery
Interpretation into English during all elective related educational activities
(Optional) -- Upon successful completion of the rotation, 6 quarter units of academic credit from Stanford Medical School will be awarded

Sample Schedule for One Week

Time	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
8:30am	Outpatient Clinic or Inpatient Wards	Outpatient Clinic or Inpatient Wards	Outpatient Clinic or Inpatient Wards	Outpatient Clinic or Inpatient Wards	Outpatient Clinic or Inpatient Wards
9:30am	Outpatient Clinic or Inpatient Wards	Outpatient Clinic or Inpatient Wards	Outpatient Clinic or Inpatient Wards	Outpatient Clinic or Inpatient Wards	Outpatient Clinic or Inpatient Wards
11am	Chinese/Tibetan Lessons	Chinese/Tibetan Lessons	Chinese/Tibetan Lessons	Chinese/Tibetan Lessons	Chinese/Tibetan Lessons
12pm	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch
1pm	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Planned Trip (ex. Medicine Factory, Plant Collection, rural clinics, etc.)
2:30pm	Seminar on TM Theory	Seminar on TM Theory	Seminar on TM Theory	Seminar on TM Theory	Planned Trip
3:30pm	Seminar on TM Theory	Seminar on TM Theory	Seminar on TM Theory	Seminar on TM Theory	Planned Trip

Medicinal plant collection area

Program Costs:

The program fee for 2007 was $800 US dollars, but is subject to change in 2008
The program fee will cover the following:
- Facilities usage
- Language classes
- Tibetan Medicine classes
- Clinical experience
- English interpretation
- Administrative costs
- Field site visits in and around Xining (Siling, Amdo)
Other costs for which students will be responsible include:
- Visa fee
- Medical and evacuation insurance
- Airfare to and from Xining, Qinghai Province (in the People’s Republic of China)
- Housing
- Meals
- Local transportation
- Personal expenses, incidentals
We estimate that the total cost for the month-long rotation will be between $1500 - $2500 NOT including the program fee (the major determining factor will be airfare)

Medicine Factory of the Arura Group

Program Timing:

The 2007 elective was held between July 30^th and August 24^th
Only one elective will be offered for 2008
We expect the 2008 elective will be offered mid-June to mid-July
Only 5-10 students will be accepted due to logistical limitations

Student Qualifications:

Students must have completed their first year of medical school in the US before they arrive in Xining (Siling, Amdo)
Students who speak Tibetan or Mandarin Chinese are encouraged to apply, but only knowledge of English is required for the elective

Accommodations:

Students are encouraged to stay in the hotel/dorm provided by the hospital which is conveniently located on the hospital campus
The current price per person per night is 60 RMB (~8 USD 2007 exchange rate)
Rooms have bathrooms and hot water (see below for pictures)
Alternatively, there are other hotels and hostels in Xining (Siling, Amdo) that range from 100 RMB to 300 RMB per room per night

Applications:

Applications will be made available for download in December, 2008
If you are interested and want to be contacted when applications will be accepted, please send an e-mail to phuoc@alum.dartmouth.org

Contact Information:

The program will be administered by the Center for Education in Family and Community Medicine at Stanford Medical School
For more information please contact Phuoc Le, MD, MPH at phuoc@alum.dartmouth.org
Our in country site director is Dr. Renchen Dhondrup (rqdd@yahoo.com), who is trained in both Tibetan medicine and Western biomedicine
Contact Address:

Center for Education in Family and Community Medicine
1215 Welch Road, Modular G
Palo Alto, CA 94305
(650) 725-5339

Additional Pictures:

Display of herbs and minerals

Herb collection field trip

Hotel at the Tibetan Medicine Hospital

Typical hotel/dorm room

Tibetan Medicine Research division

Typical afternoon in hospital

Outpatient Clinics

With patients

Seminar with Professor Li Samjia on Tibetan medical history

Herb collection with Tibetan teachers and colleagues

Dinner with students and Tibetan colleagues

Feedback from 2007 Participants:

“I enjoyed being in Xining so much, and I really thought it was a great, supportive learning environment. Everyone was really friendly and I feel as though I made friendships that will span my lifetime. I really enjoyed learning about the Tibetan epistemology of medicine, their framework of diseases and the cultural context in which they function. It is a beautiful culture, place and people and I would not hesitate to come back and work with the NGOs in the near future!”

“It was a privilege to be a part of the rotation. I hope other students are able to experience the beauty of Tibetan culture.”

Last Updated November 7, 2007