The trip

We recommend that all students arrive in Shanghai on either Sunday or Monday. Clinical practice will begin on the Tuesday so arriving in China beforehand will allow you to explore, settle into Shanghai life and adjust to the time difference.

Clinical observation will give you the opportunity to observe and take part in the treatment of patients under the supervision of senior TCM doctors in various different hospitals. All clinical observations will have an English speaker present; whether it is an English speaking doctor or a highly medically trained translator. All translations will be done instantly to avoid any delay or confusion, so you will be fully aware of everything going on. A large majority of the patients also speak English so you will be able to interact with them, find out about their medical history and be involved with the diagnosing. You will also be split into smaller groups to allow each student to have as much one-on-one time with patients and doctors as possible. The groups will be split depending on your specialist area or what you wish to see. Each patient will be seen for around 15-20 minutes, instead of the usual 2-3 minutes, to allow you to get involved, ask questions and have an extensive understanding. The clinic you attend will differ each day with rotation, to enable you to observe a variety of conditions with different specialists.

You will also be able to attend different hospitals and clinics. You will have the opportunity to visit large hospitals, with over 2,500 staff and high specification technology, smaller communal clinics with a very open and social feel and private wellness centres that are not open to the general public. This will allow you to experience TCM in many different formats to ensure you receive a unique experience to benefit yourself and your career.

A couple of days of the trip will also be dedicated to sight-seeing and exploring Shanghai. You will get to visit temples and see first hand the juxtaposition of the old and the new. A lot of signs in the city are in English so you will not have to worry about getting lost and you will also be accompanied by a fluent Chinese speaker during the day.

The hospital clinic day starts at 8:30 am and ends 4: 30 pm for visiting students, there is a lunch break in between. You will need to prepare white coats for yourself during the clinic. There will be an activity planned every day of your trip to ensure you get a full and extensive experience. However, you will have evenings free.

The trip will also consist of an extensive visit to our Tianjing Factory. This will allow you to inspect herbs, explore warehouses and visit the on-sight museum. With over 30 production lines, a 27-metre high climate controlled warehouse and 12 decoction machines, you will have an extensive insight into the way in which the factory works and the high-spec technology that is used. It is also an opportunity to create business relationships with factory owners that could benefit your career – an opportunity that isn’t available on other study trips.

The trip will be led by one of our tutors. The clinical days are taster sessions, however, you can extend clinical study time if you are interested in particular clinic or specialist. A certificate will be issued at the end of the study programme.

The clinics are listed as below, mainly on Acupuncture. If you wish to visit extra clinics for Chinese herbal medicine, Tuina etc. please contact us and we will arrange this for you.

General clinics for common conditions:

Muscular, Skeletal and Neurological problems:

Back pain, Sciatica, Frozen shoulder, Stiff neck, Tennis elbow, Muscle strain, Arthritis, Neuralgia, stroke, Bell’s palsy, etc.

Internals:

A headache, Migraine, Insomnia, Stress, Anxiety, Palpitation, Fatigue, Indigestion, Colitis, IBS, Asthma, Rhinitis, etc. and much more.

Specialist clinics:

• Gynaecology: PCOS, Endometriosis, Menstrual disorder, Infertility, etc;
• Paediatrics: Disorders of nerve system, Tourette’s syndrome;
• Urinary Bladder disorder syndrome;
• Acupuncture for health preservation;
• Thyroid problems;
• Male fertility problems;
• Weight-loss;
• Eyes problems;
• Bloodletting for complicated and difficult problems;
• And more.

We can adapt or alter the agenda to suit you, depending on what you would like to observe and experience. There may also be the opportunity to practice needling in certain clinics under the supervision of TCM doctors. We are fortunate enough to have an extremely exclusive relationship with the Shanghai University of TCM which allows us to tailor the trip for you. No other European study trip is able to offer academic and clinical practice with potential business opportunities and hands-on experiences. This study trip does not let you just observe, it allows you to integrate into TCM in Shanghai with access to renowned resources and exclusive organisations.

About Shanghai University of TCM

Shanghai University of TCM was founded in 1956. It was one of the first four colleges of TCM established in China. The campus is located at the Scientific Research & Education Zone, Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park in Pudong new area, covering 83 acres, with excellent teaching facilities and beautiful environment.

Currently, over 9388 students study at the university, this includes doctorate candidates, master degree postgraduates and undergraduates. There are more than 600 experts and professors, 2 academicians in university, 20 secondary colleges and departments, 5 affiliated hospitals, 16 subsidiaries or collaborated research institutes and 10 research centres.

Also, the university has established cooperative relationships with 14 countries and regions. With its success in international education, there’s great brand of International Acupuncture Training Centre and WHO Collaborating Centre for Traditional Medicine with more than 1,000 students a year from Japan, Korea, Russia, France, Britain, US, Germany, Italy and over 30 countries and regions.

University adheres to the idea of “intensiveness over extensiveness, distinction over largeness and essence over fame” and to the orientation of “research, teaching, specialty and openness” and strives towards the status of a first-class world-renowned University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

A few important notes:

• Please ensure that your passport has at least six (6) month’s validity from the date of your return to the United Kingdom.
• Please ensure that your application form gives your full name exactly as it appears on your passport.
• Airport taxes and surcharges are subject to change until final payment is made.