美國加州五系中醫藥大學(Five Branches University)由路醫師帶領五位學生於2024年12月18日至2025年1月3日，共計13天來台進行中醫研習交流。1984年，加州五系中醫藥大學成為美國最早成立的中醫院校之一。現今，美國加州五系中醫藥大學同時也被公認為世界頂級的中醫學校之一，在美國和國際上提供最高水平的中醫和中西醫結合專業教育。同時加州五系中醫藥大學也是一個由來自世界各地代表不同文化、背景和經歷的成就卓著的領導者、傑出的教師和非常能幹的學生組成的群體。立志為人服務，並改變醫療保健的世界觀的人們維持著這種豐富的合作環境。
本次活動中國醫學大學中醫學院林昭庚院士及中醫學系副主任黃慧琪帶領，向來自美國的學生們進行了中醫學院的詳細介紹。透過此次簡介，學生們深入了解了中醫學院的歷史、學術特色及研究方向，並對中醫學的發展現狀和未來展望有了更全面的認識。此次交流不僅促進了中西醫學的對話，也加深了國際學生對中醫文化的理解與興趣。
美國加州五系中醫藥大學師生也參觀了立夫中醫藥博物館和中藥局，這些地方讓美國師生對中醫的歷史、文化和藥材有了更深刻的了解。在中博館，也學到了許多關於中醫發展的珍貴資料，從古代到現代中醫的演變過程，相信能讓美國師生受益匪淺。而在中藥局的參訪中，觀察了各種中藥材的使用和配方，對中藥的治療原理和應用有了更加具體的認識。相信這些經歷將對加州五系大學的師生大有幫助，促進他們對中醫藥知識的理解與應用，並能進一步加強中醫學的交流與合作。研習期間，加州五系大學學生在附設醫院進行臨床跟診見習，每一個診次都有不同的學習內容與收穫。每次的跟診見習相信能讓學生深入了解不同科別的診療流程，與理解各種治療方法的實踐應用，相信這對美國師生來說是一次非常寶貴的學習經歷，每一次見習都能對充實和提升自己專業知識並對中醫有了更加全面的理解，同時也請美國師生分享見習心得。
孫同學: 很高興有機會可以到不同的醫療體系中實習，參觀藥局以及博物館很棒很有趣，不過安排的跟診行程有點太忙碌了，雖然說可以親身體會台灣醫師的上班行程，但是以交換實習生來說很難體會到跟診行程之外台灣的美好。我個人希望如果能穿插多一些CMU中醫系的課程會更好，多一些跟台灣同學交流的機會，認識他們的校園生活，還有未來合作的機會。我們對於中醫系的平時課程、社團課程、校外教學，還有中西醫會診、急診的部分也很感興趣。謝謝學校的安排還有各科醫師、主任、院長的指導，期間學習到很多寶貴的經驗！
Truc同學:My name is Truc (pronounced True), and I have just completed Term 10 at FBU. I do not speak Chinese, and instead speak English, Vietnamese, and am learning Japanese. Even with my language barrier, this externship at China Medical University Hospital (CMUH) and the additional available cultural experiences afforded in Taipei, Taiwan have been a very enriching experience this December 2024 season.
The opportunities I’ve experienced so far have been so rewarding:
On a clinic level, during my first week here, in the first 2.5 days (20 hours), I saw 5 TCM practitioners practice on 98 unique patients – all with varying chief complaints and constitutions. During the same equivalent hours at an FBU clinic shift, I would be afforded meeting 1 4 patients – some as return patients.
On an academic level, on Day 1, less than an hour after the opening ceremony, I had the opportunity to meet Chancellor Jaung-Geng Lin – a TCM doctor, scientist, and author of many scientific articles and five books. One of his books is used as a textbook at Harvard, and it was so rewarding to meet this scholar with a pretty impressive career that furthered TCM internationally. WOW.
On a cultural level, my quest to make it to Chong Ching Tang in Taipei, TW, from Taichung, TW – getting lost and unlost using their public transit and High-Speed Train was an adventure. The end-state of touring this Herbal Pharmacy was rewarding as I saw and felt rare herbs such as stomach gallbladder stones, quality deer antlers in its raw form, and the abdomen portion of a tortoise shell. The staff there like walking Materia Medica, a spin of my use of calling knowledgeable people walking Encyclopedias.
And lastly, on a networking/friendship level, my experience is irreplaceable. One of the Taiwanese doctors completed his PhD in Japan and studied there for 5 years; as a result he was able to communicate with me in Japanese to help me understand his clinic. A Taiwanese CMUH hospital intern, post-baccalaureate transfer, completed his externship at Ho Chi Minh City about a year ago and aspires to learn Vietnamese, and he spoke Vietnamese with me. Another Taiwanese CMUH Resident intern set to graduate next year aspires to learn Japanese and was learning it via DuoLingo, and we talked about JLPT and how I passed the JLPT N5 earlier in the year. Lastly, the Dean, fluent in Mandarin and English, took patient intake in Mandarin and provided key terms in English, their English diagnosis and TCM diagnosis. Meeting like-minded TCM practitioners who know multiple languages to help their patients is rewarding.
This Taiwan Externship and exposure to more mindsets and opportunities is an amazing experience.
魏同學: 很高興能參加加州五系中醫藥大學的活動來到中國醫藥大學的門診觀摩學習，這週以來，有多位醫師經常利用門診暫時沒有患者的空檔為我們講解患者情況，或在門診結束後為我們解答諸般疑問，非常感謝他們，我以及同組的五系同學深感獲益匪淺。在此特別感謝施敏婕醫師慷慨提供的幫助，很大的補充了本次orientation 的不足之處。最後，第一天參觀藥房和博物館的活動很棒，若下次能加入參觀圖書館就更好了，謝謝。
林昭庚院士向加州五系大學師生介紹掛軸上的點點滴滴，大家都十分投入且專心聆聽。
