Table 2
Formal education system of traditional medicine in China (including the Taiwan region), Korea, and Japan.
| Country | Are there schools teaching TM? | Program duration | Composition | Degree | Specialization | License |
| Mainland China |
Yes
| 5-year course | Basic medicine + clinical theory (3.5 years) clinical training (1.5 years)a | Bachelor’s | TCM IM | DCM DIM | | | | | | | | | | 7-year course |
Basic medicine + clinical theory (5 years) clinical training (1.5 years) thesis (0.5 years) | Bachelor’s and master’s
| TCM IM | DCM DIM |
| Taiwan region
| Yes
| 8-year course |
Basic medicine + clinical theory (6 years) clinical training (2 years)b | Bachelor’s | TCM and CM | DCM and MD | | | | | | | | | | Postbaccalaureate program (5 years)c | Basic medicine + clinical theory (4 years) clinical training (1 year) | Master’s
| TCM | DCM
|
| Korea | Yes
| 6-year course | Basic medicine + clinical theory (5 years) clinical training (1 year) | Bachelor’s | TKM | DKM | | | | | | | | | | Postbaccalaureate program (4 years)c |
Basic medicine + clinical theory (3 years) clinical training (1 year) | Master’s
| TKM | DKM |
| Japan | No (for MD) | — | — | Bachelor’s | CMd | MDd | | | | | | | | | Yes (for acupuncturists, moxibustion therapists, Anma-massage-Shiatsu therapists, and Judo therapists) | University (4 years) | Basic medicine + clinical theory clinical training (years not specifiable) | Bachelor’s | Acupuncture, moxibustion, and Judo therapy (Anma-massage-Shiatsu in one university) | Licensed acupuncturist, moxibustion therapist, Anma-massage-Shiatsu therapist, and/or Judo therapist | | | | | | | | | | Professional school or school for the blind (3 years) | Basic medicine + clinical theory clinical training (years not specifiable) | |
Acupuncture, moxibustion, Anma-massage-Shiatsu, and Judo therapy | Licensed acupuncturist, moxibustion therapist, Anma-massage-Shiatsu therapist, and/or Judo therapist |
|
|
CM: conventional medicine; D: doctor of; IM: integrative medicine; MD: doctor of medicine; OM: oriental medicine; TCM: traditional Chinese medicine; TKM: traditional Korean medicine; TM: traditional medicine
aIn the 5-year course offered in China, students should complete an additional 1 year of clinical training to obtain a national license.
bClinical training in the 8-year course offered in the Taiwan region consists of 1 year of training in TCM and another year of training in CM.
cStudents in the Taiwan region and Korea can enter a postbaccalaureate program after finishing a 4-year Bachelor’s Degree program in another specialization and should write a Master’s thesis to earn a Master’s Degree.
dPartial education about Kampo is included in CM education.
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