马来西亚医科大学

Chinese medicine is over thousands of years old. However, enrolling for Chinese Medicine is not about learning the history and traditions of an ancient civilization but rather, gaining an understanding of Chinese philosophy and how these have been adapted into the healing arts in ways that are still relevant today.

Chinese Medicine approaches health from a holistic manner in terms of prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation. The range of treatments include herbal therapy, acupuncture, cupping, bone and spine manipulations, dietary therapy, exercise therapy like qigong and taijiguan.

Today, there is a revival in the acceptance of Chinese Medicine even in western nations. Indeed, certain Chinese Medicine practices like acupuncture and herbal remedies are integrated with western medicine for pain management and to reduce the side effects of prescription drugs.

In Malaysia, traditional and complementary medicine is big business with herbal imports being 3 to 4 times the value of western medicine. Naturally, the Ministry of Health recognises the importance of Chinese Medicine and is implementing policies related to training and registration of practitioners with the aim of integrating Chinese Medicine into the national healthcare delivery system.

IMU’s Chinese Medicine programme comprises both western and Chinese Medicine subjects. It is an outcome-based approach, whereby students develop clinical skills during their junior years, with early clinical attachment to prepare them for a successful career. As the programme is fully conducted in English, our students get to pursue career opportunities not only in Malaysia but on a broader, global scale.

Career Pathway

There are 2 main career pathways to choose from upon graduating from the IMU Chinese Medicine programme. The first is to practice as a general Chinese Medicine practitioner either at private clinics, private hospitals or the Traditional & Complementary Medicine (T&CM) unit of government hospitals. The second pathway is to further obtain a master’s or PhD degree. The Chinese Medicine practitioner can study for a specialised area such as acupuncture and tuina, bone manipulations, paediatrics, gynecology, or specific internal medicine specialities. With this additional qualification, the practitioner can also work as a lecturer at a higher education institution or as a researcher at an academic institution.