New York College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Course Descriptions
Clinical Study
NYCTCM offers clinical training at four sites—at the Mineola campus and Manhattan Center clinics, at the Health & Wellness Center of SUNY Farmingdale, and at Gouverneur Healthcare Services, an urban hospital serving Lower Manhattan. The Mineola clinic contains a complete herbal dispensary with a state-of-the-art quality control system.
This series of clinical practice levels includes Clinical Observation, Clinical Assistantship, Junior Internship and Senior Internship. Before starting the Junior Internship, in Trimester 5 or 6 of the Acupuncture Program, or Trimester 6 or 7 of the Oriental Medicine Program, the student will have to take a Clinic Entrance Examination. In addition, before embarking on their Senior Internships, all students will have to pass a Clinical Skills Assessment Test and OM students will have to pass a test on herbal formulas.
Clinic Courses
Before entering the clinic as an Observer, students must take a class “Introduction to Clinic” in which they are introduced to clinic procedures and expectations, including patient intake, record keeping, different clinic levels and attendant responsibilities, and general rules of cleanliness and deportment.
As a pre-requisite to becoming an intern, students must attend a course “Introduction to Clinical Internship”, which focuses on clinical competency training for junior and senior interns.
901 Introduction to Clinic
This course prepares students for entering into the NYCTCM clinic. It focuses on clinical expectations for observers and assistants. It introduces the clinic settings/facilities/operations, policies, procedures, and patients scheduling issues. The course also reviews HIPPA, the clean field concept, caution of using of moxibustion. For OM program students, the course introduces herbal dispensary techniques including powder and capsules forms.
902 Introduction to Clinical Internship
This course prepares students for internship in the NYCTCM clinic. It focuses on clinical competency training for junior and senior interns. It reviews the ethical and interpersonal skills, CNT skills, acupuncture needling techniques, and palpation skills. Demonstration and student practice are included.
Clinical Observation
This level of clinical practice provides an orientation to the acupuncture clinic and herbal pharmacy. During the observation period, students observe interns as they conduct patient interviews, take the pulse and examine the tongue, make a diagnosis, and carry out an acupuncture and/or herbal treatment. In addition, Oriental Medicine students learn herbal dispensary skills in the herbal clinic. A minimum of 165 treatment observations are required by the end of the 120 clock-hour clinic observation period.
Clinical Assistantship
Clinical Assistantship consists of a total of 60 hours. The students assist the acupuncturist in some minor procedures such as cupping, moxibustion, massage and other non-invasive TCM techniques. Assistants may also assist the acupuncturist to withdraw the needles and help to chart the points on the patient’s file. In the herbal clinic, OM students continue improving their herbal dispensary skills in the herbal clinic.
Junior Internship
The Junior Internship period is 240 hours for students in the Acupuncture Program, and 300 hours for students in the Oriental Medicine Program (180 hours for Acupuncture Program graduates returning to pursue the OM degree). Junior Interns may treat patients in the clinic, but only under very close supervision of the Clinic Supervisor.
Senior Internship
This is the highest level internship and consists of 300 hours of practice for students in the Acupuncture Program and 360 hours of practice for students in the Oriental Medicine Program (180 hours for Acupuncture Program graduates returning to pursue the OM degree). Senior Interns may diagnose and treat patients with approval of the supervisor. 250 patient treatments are required during the period of Junior and Senior Internship for Acupuncture Program students, 350 patient treatments for OM Program students, and 150 patient treatments for graduates of the Acupuncture Program returning to pursue the OM degree.
Grand Rounds
As an adjunct to the clinical training component of the program, each year students must attend two Grand Rounds conducted by NYCTCM faculty. During these sessions, faculty present interesting or difficult cases and demonstrate appropriate treatment techniques.
Clinical Study