A group of five students from the School of Medicine, Yamaguchi University, Japan, visited the International Medical University (IMU) on 14 March 2023 to gain a better understanding of the Malaysian healthcare system, including its educational system and aspects of traditional and complementary medicine such as Chinese Medicine. Among the students, four are pursuing medicine at Yamaguchi University, while the remaining student is studying nursing.
The visitors were warmly welcomed by the IMU Chinese Medicine programme lecturers and students. They were given a campus tour to familiarise themselves with the university’s facilities. The tour included a visit to the IMU Library and Medical Museum, the Dr Mei Ling Young Auditorium, teaching and learning facilities, the IMU Chinese Medicine Centre (ICMC) and the Clinical Skills and Simulation Centre (CSSC).
During the campus tour, the visitors had the opportunity to explore the facilities in the ICMC, where they were given a tour of the treatment rooms and dispensary rooms, where they learned about the various treatments offered in ICMC and the processes involved in preparing and dispensing Chinese medicine.
The visitors were also shown the Chinese Medicine practice of Chinese materia medica, acupuncture needles and auricular acupuncture, where they had the opportunity to visit the Chinese Medicine herbarium in the CSSC. During their visit to the Chinese Medicine herbarium in the CSSC, the students learnt more about the rich history and cultural significance of traditional Chinese medicine. They were fascinated by the diverse array of Chinese materia medica and the numerous health benefits associated with these ancient herbs and formulas.
The visitors were also shown how acupuncture needles are used in Chinese Medicine and had the opportunity to experience how needles were inserted into the training models. They were also given an opportunity to experience the treatment of auricular acupuncture using Vaccaria seeds by our students. Overall, the demonstrations were an opportunity for the visitors to learn more about Chinese Medicine practices and their use in modern healthcare and it is hoped that these visitors have gained a deeper appreciation for the practice of Chinese medicine.
Following the tour, the visitors had a discussion with the students from the IMU Chinese Medicine programme.
This was their opportunity to interact with our students, where they shared about the development and status of Chinese Medicine and conventional medicine in Japan. In turn, our students shared about the development of traditional and complementary medicine including Chinese Medicine in Malaysia.
During the discussion session, the visitors also enjoyed herbal tea brewed by our students. After the session, a Malaysian lunch was served, including nasi kerabu with ayam bakar.
The visit was an excellent opportunity for both IMU and Yamaguchi University students to interact and learn from each other. We hope that this visit marks the beginning of a long and fruitful relationship between the two institutions.