In April 2011, a highly motivated group of Yo San students and alumni spent two weeks in Chengdu, China participating in an intensive training program in TCM Gynecology. The group, comprising DAOM candidates Lori Deutsch, Paula Kunkel, Gila Peled and Cynthia Splies, along with YSU alumni Aryani Boedisantoso (class of 2011) and Monica Sarrat (class of 2004), was led by Yo San’s Dean of Academic & Clinical Affairs Dr. Lawrence Lau. This two week intensive program was jointly organized by Yo San University (YSU) and Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (CDUTCM). Situated in Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan province in China, CDUTCM is one of the oldest and most prestigious universities of traditional Chinese medicine in China.
The two-week YSU intensive program was specifically developed to fulfill the requirements of the YSU DAOM specialty in Reproductive Medicine. All of the following were included: participation in outpatient clinical sessions, in-patient ward rounds, didactic lectures, small-group tutorials and discussions, and acupuncture demonstrations at both the CDUTCM First Affiliated TCM Hospital as well as the CDUTCM Second Affiliated TCM Hospital (also known as the Sichuan Institute of Reproductive Health, which specializes in an integrative approach to Reproductive Medicine). Reproductive medicine is particularly significant in Chengdu right now where there is currently a huge government sponsored focus. The 2008 Sichuan earthquake resulted in over 5000 families losing their sole child. Since this tragedy, the Chinese government has embarked on a massive program to assist affected families/mothers hoping to re-build their families. A combination of both TCM therapy and western medical interventions are being simultaneously used to support these efforts.
During their training in CDUTCM, the Yo San students observed firsthand how TCM is integrated with allopathic Western medicine in the treatment of a variety of conditions in reproductive medicine. “We learned so much in these two weeks, both in terms of the huge number of patients seen as well as the diversity of clinical cases.” said DAOM candidate Cynthia Splies.
At the end of the program, each YSU participant was presented with a formal Certificate recognizing their successful completion of this specialized intensive clinical program.