Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine

[bigtops]

Hi Shanghai people,

Just wondering if anybody here may be or may have been a (foreign) student of this university. I am curious to hear more about their program as I have had many chances to talk to foreign students at the Beijing uni and am curious about my other options after some of the comments I've heard. I am slowly working towards being able to study TCM in Chinese, so I'm particularly interested in comments from anybody who may have done so in Shanghai.

Alternately, if you have any friends who are or have been students there, I would greatly appreciate it if you could ask them if they'd mind me shooting them an email with a few questions.

Many thanks!

[bigtops]

I checked out both the Beijing and Shanghai schools, so as a favor to those who might have similar questions in future, here is a quick comparison.

-Both TCM undergrad curriculums are 5 years. Getting this degree is like getting a degree in TCM at a four year specialized institution in the US and many other Western countries. They also offer masters and PhD programs. I hear these advanced degrees emphasize research more than clinical practice.

-The Beijing curriculum has students solely in the classroom for the first four years and then in the hospital for the final year. Conversely, the Shanghai school divides each academic year into three quarters, and the final quarter of each year is spent in-hospital. Additionally, the entire third year at Shanghai is spent in hospital internship.

-In Beijing, at least, interns are very limited in what they may do with/to patients. Being allowed to place needles is a rare priviledge for top students, even though they have already been cracking the books for four years. This is very different from US TCM schools, where students may begin to practice needling in year one or two, but it is also very in line with the Chinese idea that 你从中医药大学毕业的时候，你还没如中医的门... When you graduate from Chinese medicine school, you still haven't really entered the world of Chinese medicine. It is expected of students here to really learn the medicine under the practical supervision of more advanced doctors. I am not sure how much leway Shanghai gives its student interns.

-In Beijing, foreign students take classes in Chinese with Chinese students. In Shanghai, foreign students are also taught in Chinese, but they are in separate classes where the professors are able to use slightly simpler Mandarin, speak more slowly, etc. Advanced students may sit classes with the Chinese students. This separation, they say, actually means that the foreign students often outperform the Chinese on the same tests.

-The Beijing campus is very much in an urban area. The Shanghai campus is past the last stop on the furthest western subway stop, in a relatively quiet area. It is a green and spacious campus, compared to Beijing's which is very dense.

Those are the main differences I can think of for now.

[Laurens]

Hi Bigtops,

Thanks a lot for your post. The information is very much appreciated as I am planning myself to study TCM.

I know this is your thread and that originally you are the one seeking information, so I hope you don't mind me asking...

Have you found somebody who has studied or who is studying at a Chinese University of Traditional Chinese Medicine?

[lovelife]

Hi Bigtops,

Thanks for the information. Very comprehensive. So, have you made up your mind /started studying yet? I recently went to the Nanjing uni of TCM and found out that they have two routes for their masters degree. One is more research based and one is more clinically based. Apparently you can choose which one to follow. Has anyone studied at Nanjing uni, can anyone share their experience about it as I was thinking of joining their masters program (my reasons to choose Nanjing over Shanghai and Beijing: Shanghai is expensive; I've lived in BJ for 2 years now and want to get out of it; Nanjing's uni is the oldest one, is collaborating with WHO and its international department has operated for many years and is well established). To be honest, i still cant decide whether to invest 3 years in working hard to obtain a piece of paper that might be deemed useless in the west (not many countries respect Chinese certificates) or just stick to my BSc from the UK and invest those 3 years in apprenticeships with various doctors. 3 years ago while in my 3d year at TCM uni i came to china and did exactly that for a month in Kunming and found out that doing that would potentially have greater benefits skills wise. However, a Masters degree is a Masters degree after all. Any ideas/comments/suggestions? How about the 4th big one- Guizhou- anyone knows anything about them? Bigtops, apologies for hijacking your space by the way...

[shuoshuo]

Coincidentally, I've been trying to obtain as much information as possible on this specific university. They sent me a brochure for this year but I am actually thinking of taking up TCM next year. I already have a Bachelor's degree from a Chinese university but oh well, I won't be needing that any longer.

I have my reservations on English-medium degrees in China. But a Chinese-medium course could prove to be extremely difficult especially in something that requires such precision.

I would love to connect with anyone considering attending this school or taking up any TCM degrees. I'm actually thinking it might be better for me to do the course in Mandarin (hence, I will be trying to obtain HSK6 before my application next year).

I've lived in Shanghai for several years. It is by far my favourite city, of all the other cities I've been to. It's just the best place ever, so a TCM university in Shanghai would definitely be my first choice.

[lovelife]

Hi Shuo Shuo,

Is your bachelor degree in TCM, where did you do it, what do you think about the delivery/ quality of that course? Do you know anything about the quality of teaching for the SUTCM masters or any of the other universities that i have mentioned in my reply above? What do you think about this:

To be honest, i still cant decide whether to invest 3 years in working hard to obtain a piece of paper that might be deemed useless in the west (not many countries respect Chinese certificates) or just stick to my BSc from the UK and invest those 3 years in apprenticeships with various doctors.

Cheers for the insight

[shuoshuo]

@lovelife - thanks for your response. Nope, I studied something completely unrelated to TCM...so if I take it up I will have to start right from the basics.

As far as I know, 3 years of apprenticeships would be a better choice if you are tired of schooling.. But as for not respecting Chinese certificates...that is very true for most, except for TCM (if anything!). But it all depends on how much time you would like to spend doing this, and if you've got enough time to do both.

When I was in China I met a TCM practitioner and a friend of mine who was a fresh college grad joined his practice as an apprentice.

I suggest you take up the Masters course in China (do one year of intense theory, pack up your schedule as much as possible) and then you can take up an apprenticeship under a TCM practitioner starting year 2, prior to your dissertation. The advantage of staying in China for now, esp. in this field is networking. You get to meet established TCM practitioners and use them as mentors.

You don't want to start working, and then realize you want to go back to school *points at self*!

That's just my personal opinion.

[shuoshuo]

I emailed SHUTCM quite a while back and they haven't replied. I remember emailing several months ago and they never replied. Can anyone tell me if they have a functioning email address that's not the same as the email address on their website contact page? If this was in another country, I would question their credibility. But when it comes to English sections on Chinese websites, it's almost expected.

[roddy]

Moving this topic to the Universities forum and adding it to the index, making it now our official SUTCM topic. Bigtops hasn't signed in for a couple of years, I'm afraid.

[jeanctc]

Dajia hao!!

Can anyone tell me if there are massage schools in either Shanghai,Beijing or Harbin please?

Any idea of the tuition fees and the duration of the courses?

Thanks

[roddy]

No point asking that question in this topic, better to start a new one.

[shuoshuo]

I ought to update this thread. I contacted SHTCM earlier this year and they never returned my emails (I wrote in Chinese). Finally, I called the university and spoke to the ISO in English. They then said 'if you are serious about the course, speak Chinese right now'. That was quite awkward but I fortunately obtained their stamp of approval, and they gave me an acceptance letter into their Masters program. So now it's up to certain circumstances on September.

 

If anyone else will or might be enrolled in this university too, let's link up? Send me a PM, it would be great to know people who share my interest for Chinese Medicine. I have a teacher here in China who told me she knows a few of the doctors associated with the school and she will be more than happy to introduce international students to them, for intern experience.

[roddy]

"If anyone else will or might be enrolled in this university too, let's link up? Send me a PM"

Please, post in here, so everyone can benefit. 

[shuoshuo]

I have registered at SHUTCM (Chinese-medium). Our foreign student nody has over a hundred students and we have been divided into 2 classes.

[rezaf]

Welcome to 上海中医药大学！

[shuoshuo]

Thank you!

[andry91]

Hi all,

Has anyone done a bachelor degree at SHUTCM (That Pan-English lectures program)?

Can anybody tell me about the quality of studies, teachers' level of English, exams difficulty, dormitory conditions and any other aspect related to this program?

Many thanks!!

[Trainline]

Is there any updated information or recent/current students who want to share their experience at SHUTCM? I saw one random review online that said things have changed after Covid, but they weren't specific.  I've read various comments here that pointed out low quality in teaching.  Thanks for any updated info.