Wai Ming, Coordinator of the part-time program unit of the School of Chinese Medicine of the Hong Kong Baptist University

People should seriously consider whether they have the necessary interest and commitment to become a Chinese medicine practitioner before applying for a related degree program, says Wai Ming, Coordinator of the part-time program unit of the School of Chinese Medicine of the Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU). A Bachelor degree takes five to eight years to complete, and requires great commitment in terms of time as well as funds.

"To become a Chinese medicine practitioner is not the only career path that our students can take," says Mr Wai, and warns that although a formal education now is a pre-requisite for practicing, it does not guarantee job opportunities.

"[Chinese medicine] is rather different from other emerging industries also promoted by the government such as information technology or logistics which focus mainly on the technical skills and solid experience of the professionals," he says.

There are many factors deciding whether a person can become a professional Chinese medicine practitioner, open a clinic and be able to manage his or her medical business successfully. The work also involves a lot of social and moral responsibilities, points out Mr Wai, saying that practitioners have to be mature and prepared to take up these responsibilities.

However, many people study in this field because they find it useful to have a basic understanding of Chinese medicine. According to his informal survey of the school's part-time students, some of them take the courses because they want to become Chinese medicine practitioners while some of them just want to learn about Chinese medicine for personal health care. Others are currently engaged in work related to this field, such as acupuncturists, physiotherapists, nurses or manufacturing and trading of Chinese medicine.

Starting with a clean sheet

Currently, the school's part-time unit offers three main types of courses, Chinese medicine, pharmacy in Chinese medicine and acupuncture. Although the Chinese medicine and pharmacy courses share some common ground, they actually involve training in different skill-sets, explains Mr Wai.

"The practitioners' main duty is to provide consultation, while those in pharmacy focus on the medicine. One faces people and the other faces things. Practitioners may have no idea how to differentiate and authenticate the various types of Chinese Materia Medica. Pharmacists, on the other hand, are not able to offer medical treatment to patients." Acupuncture, according to Mr Wai, is also a kind of practice, but it uses needles, that is a different means of medical treatment.

The school offers part-time courses on certificate as well as diploma levels, which can serve as a bridge to a bachelor degree qualification. According to Mr Wai, they will extend the scope and depth of their courses by launching a diploma program in Chinese Medicine Orthopaedics next year, and a Master's degree program in Chinese medicine at a later stage. On the other hand, students may also apply for a single course simply out of interest and for a better general understanding, without targeting a specific qualification.

Except for the courses designed for current practitioners or physiotherapists, the school only requires applicants to have a Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE), there is no need for related knowledge and experience in the field.

Customer-oriented approach

The part-time unit now has over 1,000 students. Formerly, it was part of the School of Continuing Education of HKBU, with its first program of professional diploma in Chinese medicine launched at the end of 1997. It was incorporated into the School of Chinese Medicine in July 2000, and is now sharing the facilities with the full-time program unit.

The HKBU is a pioneer in the field, says Mr Wai. It was the first in Hong Kong to launch government-funded, full-time bachelor degree programs in Chinese medicine as well as in pharmacy in Chinese medicine. It has a dedicated building with an area of around 8,500 square meters, hosting a variety of teaching and research laboratories as well as the first library in Hong Kong specializing in Chinese medicine.

The HKBU makes a difference in its "customer-oriented" approach.

The school has been serious and rigorous in the selection and assessment of teachers as well as students. For example, while they admitted 100 students to this year's part-time degree program, they interviewed over 200 eligible applicants to assess their abilities of Putonghua and classical Chinese, which are essential skills for their studies.

Course requirements are high with students having to attend lectures and practical courses, and take written and practical examinations. For staff appointment, the school will consider both the teachers' academic background and teaching experience. To assess teachers' performance, supervisors will sit in classes as well as consider the students' evaluation of their classes.

The school, on the other hand, is flexible and lenient in responding to students' specific requirements, says Mr Wai. "Students are actually our customers, whom we have to serve well." He will listen and try to satisfy their needs. For example, some students with financial difficulties have been allowed to delay payment of tuition fees. Also, he has admitted a blind student, who was turned down by other universities, although this requires special arrangements such as a different exam paper designed for the blind.

For more information on the programs, please call 3411 5748 / 3411 2912 or refer to web site: www.hkbu.edu.hk/~scmweb/chi/intro/intro.html

Taken from Career Times 2002/11/08