NESA's CHM track students combine specialized herbal training with a core curriculum, which provides comprehensive theoretical and practical training in Chinese acupuncture as well as a foundation in Western sciences and biomedicine, nutrition, Oriental bodywork and research. Herbal training begins in the third term.
Students in the the Chinese Herbal Medicine (CHM) track study the actions and effects of individual Chinese herbs and how to create formulas for clinical application. This sophisticated methodology of herbal medicine is examined in three stages. The first is the detailed study of the Chinese pharmacopoeia (materia medica): the functional categories, the unique properties of individual herbs, and their therapeutic actions and indications. Formulas courses then analyze the composition and therapeutic functions of herbal formulas. Last, internal medicine courses review the etiology and pathology of disease and teach students the application of formulas for clinical use. Through this course of study and clinical internships, students learn the principles and strategies for writing formulas to address individual patient health concerns.
All students must complete the Chinese Acupuncture Studies (CAS) core curriculum. Students gain a foundation in both Western and Eastern approaches to medicine, enabling them to communicate effectively with Western medical providers. Western biomedicine courses include basic sciences, anatomy, research, and nutrition, as well as Western pathophysiology and pharmacology. The course of study for the Eastern approach includes the history, theory and applications of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
Full-time students complete the CHM track program requirements in a minimum of 36 months and earn the Master of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine degree (MAOM).
