Continued Education for doctors in Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine
by Dr. Matthew Brook BM, DCM, Dip Med Ac.
I first decided to study acupuncture whilst working in a small rural mission hospital in Zambia. We were heavily dependent on donations from abroad to maintain our supplies of drugs and equipment and because of this I was often unable to provide the treatment that was required. I therefore decided to study a method of treatment that did not rely on expensive drugs and equipment
On my return to the UK I did a basic course in medical acupuncture and started to integrate some acupuncture techniques into my general practice work. It soon became obvious that acupuncture was a safe, cheap and often very effective treatment for a range of problems and I decided to study it in more detail.
The CMIR (Chinese Medical Institute & Register) course attracted me because it offered the opportunity to study traditional Chinese acupuncture and herbal medicine taught by professors from the Beijing University without the need to travel to China.
The course is modular, taking approximately two years to complete, but it is possible to complete the course more gradually. The course consists of five core modules of four days each, taking place at weekends. Extensive lecture notes, clinical teaching sessions and supervised practice are provided by the AcuMedic Foundation during the course.
The course concentrates mainly on the principles and practice of traditional Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture, but techniques such as electro-acupuncture. TENS, auriculotherapy and trigger points are also included. Students are encouraged to practice the techniques that they learn during the course and are required to provide a portfolio of anonymous clinical case histories before completing the diploma exam.
Treatment with Chinese medicine is made according to Chinese syndrome differentiation, which is based on completely different principles to that of Western medical diagnosis. A syndrome differentiation is made after taking a thorough history from the patient, asking a range of questions about the presenting complaint, past medical history, current therapy and also about a wide range of bodily functions. An examination is then made, paying particular attention to the characteristics of the tongue and the radial pulse. Once a syndrome differentiation has been made appropriate treatment with a combination of acupuncture and herbal medicine can be carried out.
After completion of the course, it is possible to take a diploma examination, which is set and examined by Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. The exam consists of a mixture of multiple choice, short written answers, clinical exam and a viva. Passing the diploma results in full CMIR accreditation.
Learning a completely different medical system was a challenge, but has enabled me to effectively treat a range of conditions more effectively than I was able to do before. I recently ran a six-month pilot acupuncture clinic for my local PCT with the aim of reducing the number of referrals for musculoskeletal pain made from my practice to local outpatient clinics. I was able to successfully avert many referrals and also enable several patients to reduce their intake of NSAIDS and PPIs.
Completing the CMIR diploma course has illustrated to me the potential value of integrating Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture with conventional medical practice with the aims of improving outcomes and reducing side effects.
(For doctors who do not wish to study herbal medicine the CMIR also runs modular courses in acupuncture, which lead to a diploma in acupuncture)
For further information on CMIR courses please contact:
Prof. Man Fong Mei
CMIR/AcuMedic Foundation
101-105 Camden High Street
London
NW1 7JN
+44 (0)20 7388 6704 
+44 (0)20 7387 8081 
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