School of Tibetan Medicine Now Accepting Applications

4-Year Course in Tibetan Medicine Now Accepting Applications for the Fall, 2009 Semester

The American branch of the International Shang Shung Institute, located in Conway, MA, is now accepting applicants for the Fall, 2009 class of our four-year School of Tibetan Medicine.

With a history going back over 2,500 years, traditional Tibetan medicine is one of the oldest continuously practiced healing systems on earth. Regarded as science, art, and philosophy, Tibetan medicine is an ancient form of holistic health care indigenous to the Tibetan people, which integrates the core Buddhist principles of altruism, karma, and ethics. Over thousands of years, traditional Tibetan medicine evolved and incorporated medical knowledge from China, Persia, India, and Greece. Since this time it has been practiced continuously throughout Tibet, the Himalayan regions, India, Mongolia, and Siberia, as well as in the Western world wherever Tibetans live in exile.

In the Fall of 2005, the American branch of the Shang Shung Institute initiated the four-year program in Tibetan Medicine under the direction of Dr. Phuntsog Wangmo. This program closely parallels the training of a traditional Tibetan physician culminating in a supervised internship and final exams.

Each semester of the four-year curriculum combines a tripartite approach to the study of the Tibetan medical tradition that includes foundation core studies based on the topics of the Four Tantras, complimentary studies in Tibetan language and culture, and clinical practicum. Students in the Shang Shung Institute School of Tibetan medicine can expect to receive training that thoroughly covers all the traditional topics, presented in English. For those students who complete the first seven semesters onsite, an optional internship at the Northeast Traditional Tibetan Hospital in Qinghai, China will be available at the conclusion of their studies.

The Shang Shung program offers eight consecutive semesters, each consisting of 300 total hours. Each week, students will participate in 20 hours of classes. Among these 20 hours per week; 16 hours are used for lecture, 2 hours for Tibetan language and culture studies, and 2 hours for a clinical practicum. There are no electives or part/time study options in the Tibetan Medicine four-year program and students are expected to participate in all aspects covering each semester’s topics. Classes meet for two and a half consecutive days a week. This way, students have time during the week for study, work, and time for other obligations.

More details, and an online application are available on our website at http://www.shangshung.org.
The secretary of the American branch of the Shang Shung Institute can also be contacted at secretary@shangshung.org or by phone at +1 (413) 369-4928 Tweet