摘要
Over the past 4 decades Chinese medicine （CM） has comeincreasingly into the spotlight in the United States as the clinical effectiveness ofCM has been not only empirically well-tested over a long period of time but alsoproven by recent scientific research. It has proven cost effectiveness, safety, andis authorized for natural and holistic approaches. In consideration, CM is one of theunderutilized health care professions in the United States with a promising future.However, CM faces many challenges in its education and system, its niche in thehealth care system as an independent profession, legal and ethical issues. This paperdiscusses the confronting issues in the United States： present education, standardsof CM education with shifting first professional degree level, new delivery systemsof CM education. Development of new research models, training of evidence-basedpractice, and implementation of integrative medicine into CM education also are the key issues in the currentCM profession. This paper also discusses opportunities for the CM profession going beyond the current status,especially with a focus on fusion medicine.
Over the past 4 decades Chinese medicine （CM） has comeincreasingly into the spotlight in the United States as the clinical effectiveness ofCM has been not only empirically well-tested over a long period of time but alsoproven by recent scientific research. It has proven cost effectiveness, safety, andis authorized for natural and holistic approaches. In consideration, CM is one of theunderutilized health care professions in the United States with a promising future.However, CM faces many challenges in its education and system, its niche in thehealth care system as an independent profession, legal and ethical issues. This paperdiscusses the confronting issues in the United States： present education, standardsof CM education with shifting first professional degree level, new delivery systemsof CM education. Development of new research models, training of evidence-basedpractice, and implementation of integrative medicine into CM education also are the key issues in the currentCM profession. This paper also discusses opportunities for the CM profession going beyond the current status,especially with a focus on fusion medicine.
