The 8th WFCMS Translation Conference at the Guangzhou Medical University

I haven't published a blog entry in a while, but this weekend I was invited to the Eighth Conference of WFCMS Translation Specialty Committee. This meeting is the first one I attend after completing my PhD. The President of the Guangzhou Medical University, Prof. Wang Xinhua, and the President of the WFCMS Translation Committee Prof. Li Zhao-guo, both invited me to deliver the key note speech. Later that evening, President Wang Xinhua also invited me to dinner with the University leadership and other University Deans and Presidents. (Photo of us shaking hands below)

And, finally after many months, I find the chance to leave the clinic and hang out with my friends for a couple of days. Many of them were really excited to see me, especially since working full time in the hospital takes up all of my time now. Here's a few photos.

Comments

How to explain Chinese medicine to your patients

Most new patients at the hospital, regularly ask for an explanation of Chinese medicine , so that they understand how the treatment works. In the United States, the religious, or those with a background in science are often very suspicious of a system that is being frequently advertised as the product of vague eastern practices , or is surrounded by mystery and/or encompassing near occult methods. Many of my acupuncture students, sometimes also find it difficult to come up with a clear definition that doesn’t include the keywords: qi, energies, yin and yang, five elements , and 5000 years of TCM history . An attempt to explain it as a method of using needles to stimulate “channels and meridians” , or using herbs to access the internal organs according to ancient experiences of the Chinese people, again doesn’t sound scientifically convincing. From my experiences in a hospital setting, when the religious or t...

The closing down of US Acupuncture Schools

The shutting down of Acupuncture Schools is fast becoming an epidemic. Of course there are realistic, creative and innovative solutions to this problem, but not without sacrifice and pain. But what where the reasons for their failure? Let's summarize some of them: · They were teaching with the same methodology that Chinese students were taught in the 1950’s, utilizing almost the same type of textbooks without modernizing the language, perspectives and concepts. · They were perpetuating philosophical and mystical terminology to fuel a steampunk version of "Romantic Orientalism". · They were seeking new recruits in the pool of the New Age and the Hippy communities. · There was lack of research. And even when some were conducting research, this was with no strategic focus and clear direction, but merely to increase cita...

The "Chinese Medicine and Culture" to be indexed in ESCI

Last week it was announced that the "Chinese Medicine and Culture" is to be indexed in ESCI, and become discoverable on the Web of Science. CMC will receive its first Impact Factor (IF) in 2025, and all articles published after 2022 will be counted towards the author's h-index. --- I have been involved with CMC since its launch in 2018, having being appointed as Associate Editor and Editorial Board Member from the very beginning. I think this is a great achievement for Chinese Medicine. The CMC is the first TCM Humanities publication to achieve such a status. - In March, Charlie Buck and I were guest editors in chief for a historical issue on the global cross cultural integration of TCM in the west, which made an enormous impact on the TCM world in China and abroad.

Navigating through the sea of medicine

Search This Blog