Comparison of Chinese medicine higher education programs in China and five Western countries

Object: Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been taught widely in the both Eastern and Western world countries. This study compared the origin, student source, duration, and curriculum design of TCM higher education programs in China and five Western countries. Method: We searched the Internet and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database to gather relevant information. Result: All the six countries offer acupuncture and/or Chinese herbal medicine programs at universities and/or private schools. However, there are great large differences among them in the education of curriculum and TCM students enrollment and curriculum policies of TCM courses. Conclusions: There are large differences among their curriculum and enrollment policies. This comparison should provide information about the further development of international standards in TCM education