NSU Horizons Spring/Summer 2009

Traditional Chinese medicine, which has been around for thousands of years, aims to diagnose, pre- vent, and treat diseases, according to the National Cancer Institute. This form of medicine is based on the belief that qi, the body’s vital energy, is distributed along 20 meridians or channels all over the body. This flow of energy keeps a person’s spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical health in balance. The College of Optometry’s program also includes bringing Chinese scholars to teach and study at NSU for extended periods. “For me, it was very valuable, and I would never trade that experience for anything else,” said Allison Falden, O.D., who spent three months in China during 2006 as part of her NSU optometry studies. “I learned a lot from it. I saw a lot of things I wouldn’t have been exposed to otherwise.” The College of Optometry’s program was launched by Bai-Chuan Jiang, Ph.D., FAAO, professor of op- tometry, after NSU students went to Tianjin, China, in 2002 for externships supported partly by the Tianjin Eye Hospital. Shortly after this, Jiang began to teach optometry and vision science in China for one month each summer. In 2005, NSU’s Health Professions Division, which includes the College of Optometry, provided funding for two visiting Chinese professors to study at NSU. “We used their knowledge to help with teaching labs and research assistance,” Jiang said. Since then, about 10 Chinese visiting scholars have worked at NSU, and about 50 optometry students have studied in China, including 6 students in 2008. “There are many benefits for our students. There is the cultural ex- change, and our students can see more patients compared to an externship in the United States,” Jiang said. “The students come in contact with many patients with different kinds of diseases and really benefit from that exposure.” The College of Pharmacy’s study- abroad program started in 2004, but not in China. “We began the ex- change in Peru to go to the Amazon and study plants. This led to our in- terest in studying nontraditional medicine,” said Andrés Malavé, Ph.D., R.Ph., dean of the College of Pharmacy. “In China, we were study- ing traditional Chinese medicine.” NSU optometry students had an opportunity to observe traditional Chinese methods, including the use of acupuncture to treat conditions such as glaucoma and crossed eyes. So far, pharmacy students and faculty members have made two study-abroad trips to China, beginning in 2007. Last year, 50 pharmacy students, faculty members, and pharmacists traveled to Beijing, as well as to several Japanese cities, for 22 days. Called Introduction to Traditional Chi- nese Medicine, the course included 60 hours of lectures and 8 hours of clinical observation at the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, one of China’s most prestigious universities. Students learned such traditional philosophies as Qigong and Tui na, food therapy, and herbal medicine from well known physicians and professors. Along with the academics, this program empha- sized cross-cultural understanding, allow- ing students the time to explore historical sites and develop a richer appreciation of China’s ancient culture. If the study of age-old remedies seems odd in this time of modern drugs, Malavé said it isn’t. He believes today’s pharma- cists may need to suggest alternative medi- cines that sometimes are less expensive or more effective than conventional medica- tion. Pharmacists also should be aware of possible interactions between convention- al and alternative treatments, which can be severe, he said. “The reality is that, in this country, and especially here in South Florida, many people are using nontraditional medicines,” Malavé notes. “We have to know what our patients are doing.” 10 horizons A pharmacist works with an auto decoding and packaging machine, preparing Chinese herbal medicine. NSU pharmacy students and faculty members examine insect remedies at a traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy.