Career opportunities-in-traditional-chinese-medicine

Career Opportunities in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)We all know that a good massage can be delightfully relaxing and de-stressing. Butdid you know that massage is also commonly used for much more than justtitillating the senses?Peoples outlook on health is changing. In recent times, many have begun to travelback in time to rediscover the ancient healing treasure resulting in a noticeableincrease in the acceptance of taking a holistic approach to healthcare amongSingaporeans and elsewhere. TCM, being one of the oldest systematicallydocumented healthcare systems is among the more popular forms of alternativemedicare, in part due to a sustained public awareness campaign and a moretransparent regulatory regime.Tuina (pronounced "twee nah"), an integral aspect of TCM, is an ancient form oforiental bodywork, which roughly equates to a combination of Physical andChiropractic therapy. Tuina was developed over 2,000 years ago and is today stilleffectively used in hospitals and clinics throughout China to treat soft tissueinjuries, digestive system disorders, gynecological problems, pediatric problems,and various types of pain.Consisting of a combination of massage, acupressure and body manipulation,Tuina works by applying pressure to acupoints and meridians to remove theblockages that prevent the free flow of energy. Removing these blockages from themeridians, which can be thought of as roadmaps of the entire terrain of the body,restores the balance of energy in the body, leading to improved health and vitality.Tuina offers a drug-free, non-invasive safe approach based on the bodys naturalability to heal itself.Tuina therapy is rapidly gaining interest in the western medical community andSingapore. This has inevitably led to many career opportunities. The need forskilled manpower is on the rise in remedial massage therapy, Chinese Medicinedispensing, acupuncture and internal medicine. By merely scanning through thepositions available for such skilled personnel, it is not difficult to conclude thatprofessionally trained massage therapist are in demand in sectors such as privatehealth clubs, stress reduction therapy/remedial centers. Health and wellnesscentres, sports and fitness clubs, beauty, spa and the resort industry, hospital andthe healthcare industry, rehabilitation centers, TCM clinics, remedial centres,educational and training Institutions.For or those that have an aptitude in Chinese medicine, jobs are abundant in TCMMedical Hall, manufacturing (product development), pharmacies, restaurants, TCMClinics, life science medical research laboratories, sales, health and fitness centres,the herbal foods industry, the beauty and spa industry, integrative remedial andtreatment centres. The scope is wide ranging from marketing, sales, teaching,nutritionist, health consultants to social workers for the aged etc..

The information age has also transformed the landscape where such skills andknowledge can be acquired and developed. Unlike the days where expertise ispassed down from generation to generation as part of family tradition, localinstitutions have stepped forward to provide such training in response to the callto address a potential shortage of skilled manpower. One school is TCMProfessional Centre (www.tcmprofessional.com). As a school of traditional andcomplementary medicine, it offers courses ranging from short courses toprofessional and diploma level programmes focusing on skills upgrading, academicprogression, continuous education and enrichment programmes. Theirprogrammes are accredited with the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine as wellas the Singapore Workforce Development Agency through its administration of theNational Skills Recognition System.One of the schools students, Charmaine Shepherd, was suffering from chronicdigestive disorders and auto-immune disease for over 15 years. After exhaustingall mainstream possibilities, she tried Chinese physical therapy and within a veryshort time most of her symptoms had disappeared. She explains "I was soimpressed by this experience that I changed from a scientific career to studytraditional Chinese medicine." She believes that because most Chinese medicinemethods are safe and simple to learn they are beneficial to promoting healthwithin the whole family.With an impressive lecturing staff of over 30 qualified physicians from leadinguniversities and more than 230 graduates since September 2003, TCM ProfessionalCentre is rapidly gaining international recognition. The school is already anapproved training provider under the Ministry of Manpower Skills RedevelopmentProgram and is also accredited with the Singapore Acupuncture Association, whichis a member of the World Federation of Acupuncture Moxibustion Society. Its linkswith the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine has paved the way for moreprofessional exchanges.A progressive TCM sector through career development and continuing educationwill contribute towards an integrative healthcare system and a more caringsociety.By Khoo Eng Lim MSc,MMIS thPosted on 14 December 2009http://sg.jobsdb.com/SG/EN/Resources/JobSeekerArticle/Career%20Opportunities%20in%20T?ID=577

Career opportunities-in-traditional-chinese-medicine

by sohainstitute on Jul 15, 2012

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