New York College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Course Descriptions
Elective Courses
General/Acupuncture
702 Tao and Chinese Culture
This course will provide a general introduction to Tao and Taoism, which have an intimate relationship with traditional Chinese medicine. The philosophy of Taoism and its major concepts and thinkers—Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu—will be introduced. The course will also analyze the significance of the Tai Chi figure, the Eight Diagram, and the I Ching, and will include detailed discussions of Taoism and TCM and Tao of health and longevity.
1 credit
Prerequisites: TCM Physiology
703-1, 703-2 Practical Needling 1 & 2
Students in these courses will learn how to needle some of the important but difficult points. The courses will help students to build self-confidence when needling points on various parts of the body. Course 1 introduces the points on the extremities, chest, abdomen, head, face and neck region and course 2 covers the points on the back, sacrum, Huato Jiaji and joints areas.
1 credit each
Prerequisites: Meridians and Points Location 1, 2 & 3; Needle Technique
704 Special Acupuncture Therapeutics 1: Acupuncture in Shang Han Lun
This course will discuss the significance of some important pattern syndromes and the associated acupuncture treatments.
1 credit
Prerequisites: Meridians and Points Location 1, 2 & 3; Needle Technique
705 Special Acupuncture Therapeutics 2: Japanese Acupuncture
This course will introduce the basic concepts of Japanese acupuncture and the basic principles of Meridian Therapy, as well as clinical application. Practice workshop included.
1 credit
Prerequisites: Meridians and Points Location 1, 2 & 3; Needle Technique
706 Special Acupuncture Therapeutics 3: Ancient Acupuncture Cases
This course will discuss some acupuncture cases selected from ancient classics. The case discussion includes the significance for clinical acupuncture practice and importance of the core of TCM—setting up the treatment based on the syndrome and pattern differentiation.
1 credit
Prerequisites: Meridians and Points Location 1, 2 & 3; Needle Technique
707 Special Acupuncture Therapeutics 4: Clinical Application of Auricular Acupuncture
This course will introduce the detailed clinical application of auricular therapy including clinical indications and needle techniques. Workshop included.
1 credit
Prerequisites: Meridians and Points Location 1, 2 & 3; Needle Technique
709 Advanced Tai Chi
Students in this course will enhance their knowledge of Tai Chi by learning and practicing the Wudang “30 movements” form.
1 credit
Prerequisites: Tai Chi 1 & 2
711 Introduction to the Chinese Language
This course will offer students a basic concept of the Chinese language, pronunciation, Pinyin, and Chinese characters related to TCM and daily use. Students who attend the class are expected to gain fundamental knowledge of the Chinese language and be able to read and write simple Chinese words by correctly using the Chinese-English dictionary.
1 credit
Prerequisites: None
712 Introduction to Western Diseases
This course will introduce students to various diseases as identified by Western medicine, including categorization and basic symptom sets.
1 credit
Prerequisites: Medical Terminology
713 Neurologic Acupuncture
After giving a brief introduction to the general fundamentals of neurology, this course will introduce details about the neurological mechanisms of acupuncture. Special needle techniques and point selection based on knowledge of these mechanisms will be presented, as well as acupuncture treatment for some neurological disorders.
1 credit
Prerequisites: Acupuncture Treatment Principles, Meridians & Points Location 1, 2 & 3, Clinical Neurology
714 History of China
This course will introduce general Chinese history include names, time frames and important historical events of different dynasties as well as famous historical stories.
1 credit
Prerequisites: None
715 Acupuncture Classics (1): The Classic of Difficulties
This course will introduce some important chapters of this historical acupuncture textbook so that students will better understand some special needle techniques and acupoint selection.
1 credit
Prerequisites: Meridians & Points Location 1, 2 &3, TCM Syndrome Analysis
716 Acupuncture Classics (2): The Systematic Classic of Acupuncture and Moxibustion
This course will introduce some important chapters from this classic work, especially emphasizing point selection for different indications. Students will be given a better understanding of the method of acupoint selection in ancient times.
1 credit
Prerequisites: Meridians & Points Location 1, 2 &3, TCM Syndrome Analysis
717 Advanced Qi Gong
The course will introduce the Small Heaven Cycle Qi Gong meditation.
1 credit
Prerequisites: Qi Gong 1 & 2
718-1 Chinese Language (1): Acupoint Vocabulary
This course will introduce Chinese characters used in the names of common acupoints.
718-2 Chinese Language (2): Materia Medica Vocabulary
This course will introduce Chinese characters used in the names of common herbs.
1 credit each
Prerequisites: Introduction to the Chinese Language
Revised July 2006
Oriental Medicine
802 Major TCM Schools (Ge Jia Xue Shuo)
This course will introduce the features of different schools of TCM, especially the four typical ones from the Jin and Yuan dynasties—the School of Cold and Coolness founded by Liu Wansu, the School of Attacking or Purging headed by Zhang Congzheng, the School of Spleen and Stomach represented by Li Dongyuan, and the School of Nourishing the Essence founded by Zhu Danxi. The special theories of each school and corresponding typical herbal formulas will be introduced in detail.
1 credit
Prerequisites: TCM Physiology, Introduction to Chinese Herbology
803 Treatise on Warm-Febrile Diseases (Wen Bing Xue)
This course will introduce the definition of Wen Bing (Warm Diseases), its basic characteristics and different types and etiologies. The Four Level differentiation, Defensive-Qi-Nutrient-Blood, San Jiao differentiation, and the corresponding herbal treatment for different contagious diseases will be considered in detail.
1 credit
Prerequisites: OM Therapeutic Strategies
804 Special Herbal Therapeutics 1: Paired Herbs
This course will introduce the paired herbs which were commonly used by the master practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine. It will include individual herbal actions and superiority of combination as well as clinical applications.
1 credit
Prerequisites: Individual Herbs 1, 2 & 3
805 Special Herbal Therapeutics 2: Menopausal Syndrome
This course will provide a detailed introduction to menopausal syndrome including TCM etiology and pathogenesis, pattern differentiation, treatment strategies, effective herbal formulas and clinical application.
1 credit
Prerequisites: OM Therapeutic Strategies
806 Special Herbal Therapeutics 3: New Pharmaceutical Research on Chinese Herbs
This course will introduce state-of-the-art research information about Chinese herbs, including their effective pharmaceutical action.
1 credit
Prerequisites: Individual Herbs 1, 2 & 3
807 Chinese Herbology Classics 1: Treatise on the Spleen and Stomach
This course introduces Li Dong-Yuan’s special theory on the Spleen and Stomach, which includes the concept of Yin Fire, important in understanding complicated internal diseases and their systemic ramifications.
1 credit
Prerequisites: TCM Pathogenesis, Introduction to Chinese Herbology
808 Chinese Herbology Classics 2: Fu Qing-Zhu’s Gynecology
This course will introduce special formulas which are still commonly used from the famous medical work Fu Qing-Zhu’s Gynecology.
1 credit
Prerequisite: OM Therapeutic Strategies