Learning traditional Chinese medicine in London

The London College of Traditional Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (LCTA) is the UK's biggest college of Chinese medicine. "We teach the whole spectrum of Chinese medicine, so we include acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, tui na massage, nutrition and qigong. We've been around since 1992, so it's our 15th anniversary this year, which is quite exciting," Bonny Williams, the college's director says.

According to Williams, LCTA has about 300 students, with small class groups of about 20 students for post-graduate courses such as herbal medicine or nutrition and 30 students for the undergraduate acupuncture classes.

"Students earn a professional qualification, which is called a licentiate diploma and in addition, they get a bachelor of science (BSc) degree which is an academic recognition. LCTA works with two universities externally, the University of Portsmouth and the University of East London, and they validate our degrees," Williams explains.

While a degree is not yet required to practise acupuncture in the UK, Williams says new regulations are expected to take effect soon. "The government are working on it now and they expect it to happen by 2011. When it does, acupuncturist, and possibly herbal medicine practitioner, will be what we call 'protected titles.' That means that there will be a certain minimum qualification that you have to have in order to be able to call yourself an acupuncturist. So at the moment, although a licentiate diploma is in fact enough to practise acupuncture, in due course, it's likely that a degree will be required as well."

A community of enthusiasts

In Williams' view, studying at LCTA is a luxury. "We are the market leader and we charge more than anybody else. But we also give as good as we get in terms of service and our students very much enjoy studying here. Yes, it's a lot more expensive than it would cost you, say, to study in a university, but people who come here want a dedicated college doing just this. They want to feel the momentum."

Williams also notes that students of the college are encouraged to go on a trip to China that takes place every year in August and spend time at a teaching hospital there. "They don't get the same experience they'd get if they studied in China, because we've got very good contacts over there. Our students tend to go in and are very lucky to be able to speak to the senior doctors. They spend some time working in the hospital, observing the doctors and hopefully being able to treat patients of their own, which they love. And it's sort of a bonus, I think for them, to be able to study in China as well as here."

The teachers of the college, Williams says, is probably their best asset. "Our teachers come from China, Burma, Chile, England and Europe. They usually have ten years of practice and we require them to be in practice to teach here because we think it's very important that they keep their knowledge current and alive. In addition to their qualification as a practitioner, they usually have qualification as a teacher. They're really quite amazing people and very inspiring," Williams enthuses.

Getting a degree

A degree will soon be needed to practise acupuncture in the UK. (Image: Radio86)

The degree program is structured to fit the needs of the average LCTA student. "Almost without exception, the people that learn Chinese medicine with us are mature students. That means they've probably got fairly hefty financial commitments, so they need to still be able to work. Students study for three years, and if they want to, they can take the course part-time over four years. But the way we teach, they can actually learn at weekends and still do a full-time course. We run our weekend courses so that people who work have the opportunity to still study as well. They know what two days they will be in school and it stays the same throughout the whole course."

"All LCTA courses are accredited by professional bodies. We make it a policy decision really. We pride ourselves on the quality of our courses and we have always had our courses accredited at the highest level as soon as the accreditation has been available. I think that gives our students a confidence that can't come from anywhere else because accreditation bodies list not only qualified practitioners, but in addition, they list courses which have had their standards checked. There are a lot of courses out there and there are a lot of practitioners and the training varies very much from one institution to another."

Williams emphasizes that membership in a professional organization is one of the things to look for when searching for a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner. "If the person is not a member of a professional body, I would say, don't go to them. If you have good qualification, it doesn't take a lot to get the membership. It's a mark of status, a mark of good practice."

"A person who is a member of a professional body will have to adhere to a code of ethics and a code of conduct and a code of safe practice. So you know that acupuncture needles will be disposable and completely sterile. You know that they've got a real sense of what they can treat and the limits of their competence, that kind of general awareness which you can't be reassured of unless the person is actually properly registered."

Traditional Chinese medicine to Africa

LCTA is also involved in many international projects, particularly a possible exchange program with Africa. "If you think about acupuncture particularly," Williams says, "it's a very good system of medicine to use in Africa. There, things like drugs can get misused or abused because every person that sells medicine adds to the cost of it, so by the time it reaches the person who needs it, it's much too expensive for him to afford it."

"Chinese medicine is an excellent thing, because it's in your head and no one can take knowledge away from you. If somebody has learned Chinese medicine, they've got that skill forever and they can heal as many people as they can see."

"It's very important particularly in the treatment of patients who have HIV/AIDS because Chinese medicine works on the body's own strength. It works on supporting the body's system to prevent illness. It uses internal energy to protect the patient."

"We're looking into making this exchange scheme happen, perhaps by bringing people over from Africa to train here. When they go back to Africa after training, they can help sick people there."

In the second part of our interview, Williams will discuss the status of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the UK, as well as describe the different aspects of Chinese medicine as taught in LCTA.