Diploma course in Chinese herbal medicine

The next intake for Diploma in Chinese Herbal Medicine starts in the Spring of 2025. Enrollment is OPEN!

Course name: Diploma course in Chinese herbal medicine

Duration: over 22 months

Clinical Hours: 30 days (London)

Credits: 180 credits

Class location: Manchester, London(Clinical), Online

Entry Requirements: Acupuncturists with a degree-level qualification in Chinese medicine acupuncture, and Western medical sciences ( Read the detailed Entry Requirement here)

(Individuals who do not meet the prerequisites are encouraged to complete a foundation course beforehand.)

Course Overview

This diploma course brings together some of the leading clinicians and researchers of Chinese herbal medicine and has a main goal of producing practitioners who are expertly trained in the clinical practice of Chinese herbal medicine and are able to confidently use a wide selection of safe and established formulations to treat patients effectively.

Course Duration

The course will run over an 22 month period, approximately two weekends per month,  and includes a series of on-line lectures from Taiwan blended with on-site lectures and 30 days of clinical experience in our UK teaching clinic set in the heart of London.

For people who want to spread their training over a longer period it is possible to take individual modules of the curriculum, starting with Materia Medica and Ethnopharmacy.

Clinical Work Opportunity in Taiwan

There will be opportunities for further post-graduate clinical work at China Medical University Hospital in Taiwan,  working alongside some of the most experienced and influential practitioners of Chinese medicine in a busy hospital setting.

Although the hospital has developed a strong research base and employs modern methods of diagnosis, the approach to treatment is chiefly centred around classical methods and with an emphasis on the shang han lun and wen bing theories on the treatment of disease. This combination of an evidence based approach coupled with the wisdom of classical teachings has established CMU as one of the world’s leading hospitals specialising in integrative medicine.

Hybrid Learning - Online, Onsite Lectures / Clinical Work in London

A proportion of lectures will take place online and be streamed from locations within the UK and from Taiwan and there will also be onsite lectures in London. Clinical work will take place in the UK teaching clinic, with input from China Medical University Hospital. The lectures and clinical work will be under the direction of Dr Hung-Rong Yen in Taiwan and by Dr Tony Booker in the UK.

Instructed by an Industry Experts

Dr Hung-Rong Yen is the current Dean of China medical university and well known as a leading clinician and researcher in the field of Chinese medicine. Dr Tony Booker is a reader (associate professor) in ethnopharmacology, focusing on East Asian medicine, he has been a practitioner of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine for over 25 years and is a past President of The Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine (RCHM).

The Best Place to start your academic success in Chinese Herbal Medicine

This course has been designed in consultation with the European Herbal and Traditional Practitioners Association (EHTPA) and follows the EHTPA curriculum.

We have informed the Chair of the EHTPA Accreditation Board that we intend to apply for Accreditation at the end of our first year.

Graduates from this course will be able to apply for membership of the RCHM and update their professional insurance to include Chinese herbal medicine.

Start your herbalist journey now!

Train to be a qualified TCM Herbalist

Train to be a qualified TCM Herbalist

Inquire now to begin your exciting journey towards becoming a skilled TCM herbalist!

Modules

Download Full Course syllabus here

Materia Medica

Module 1 - Materia Medica

(Code :CHM001)

Module leader: Anthony O Connor, Winder Chang

40 Credits

400 hours

  • This module aims to provide an in-depth understanding of the main herbs used in common practice, including their properties, meridians entered, patterns treated, pharmacology and phytochemistry and their common medical indications. The herbs, herbal formulas and their processed products are studied under the guidance of traditional East Asian medicine theory. Traditional East Asian Medicine encompasses theories of the prevention and treatment of disease that originate chiefly in ancient China but have been strongly influenced over the years by other cultures and medical traditions, including those found in Japan, Taiwan and Korea. A major benefit of this traditional medicine, is that it allows for formulas to be created that match each patient and their signs and symptoms exactly and so treat the underlying causes of disease and not just the symptoms. In this way it is able to increase clinical effectiveness with faster results and less side-effects for each patient. The herbal formulas are taught alongside studying the individual herbs in order to reinforce learning and understanding of how the herbs work individually and within their respected formulae.

    Module Leader – Dr. Winder Chang

  • Day 1

    9:30 - 13:00:

    • Introduction to the herbs and formulas module.

    14:00 -18:00:

    • Tutorial 1, Online tools, submitting coursework

    • Formulas that Tonify Yin.

    On-site with 2 hour lecture online in the morning from Winder Chang.

    Day 2

    9:30 - 13:00:

    • Formulas that Tonify Qi & Blood

    14:00 -18:00:

    • Phytochemistry 1

    On-site with 2 hour lecture online in the morning from Winder Chang

  • Day 1

    9:30 - 13:00:

    • Formulas that Tonify Qi & Blood

    14:00 -18:00:

    • Phytochemistry 2

    On-site with 2 hour lecture online in the morning from Winder Chang

    Day 2

    9:30 - 13:00:

    • Formulas that Clear Heat / Fire

    14:00 -18:00:

    • Tutorial 2 (14:00 -15:00) , Research methods in clinical research

    • Formulas that Harmonise & Regulate Qi

    On-site with 2 hour lecture online in the morning from Winder Chang

  • Day 1

    9:30 - 13:00:

    • Formulas that Tonify Yang & Formulas that Warm the Interior

    14:00 -18:00:

    • Formulas that Regulate Blood

    On-line with 2 hour lecture online in the morning from Winder Chang.

    Day 2

    9:30 - 13:00:

    • Formulas that Harmonise & Regulate Qi

    14:00 -18:00:

    • Formulas that release the exterior

    On-line with 2 hour lecture online in the morning from Winder Chang.

  • Day 1

    9:30 - 13:00:

    • Formulas that Expel Wind

    • Formulas that Treat Food Stagnation

    14:00 -18:00:

    • Nutrition 1(Chinese Food Therapy)

    On-line with 2 hour lecture online in the morning from Winder Chang.

    Day 2

    9:30 - 13:00:

    • Formulas that Stabilize and Bind

    • Formulas that Moisten the Intestines & Unblock the Bowels

    14:00 -18:00:

    • Formulas that Dispel Phlegm

    • Formulas that Expel Dampness

    On-line with 2 hour lecture online in the morning from Winder Chang.

  • Day 1 (Instructor : TONY BOOKER / WINDER CHANG)

    9:30 - 13:00:

    • Phytochemistry 3

    14:00 -18:00:

    • Tutorial 3 (14:00 -15:00)

    • Researching academic papers. Referencing and plagiarism

    On-site with 2 hour lecture online in the morning from Winder Chang.

  • Week 6 - Day 2 (Instructor : TONY BOOKER)

    9:30 - 13:00:

    • Nutrition 2 (Chinese Food Therapy)

    14:00 -18:00:

    • Tutorial 4, 14:00 -15:00

      Posters

    On-line with 2 hour lecture online in the morning from Winder Chang.

  • Week 9 - Day 2 (Instructor : PETER MEYER)

    14:00-18:00:

    • Poster presentations CHM001

    On-line

Shang Han Lun and Wen Bing

Module 2- Shang Han Lun and Wen Bing

(Code :CHM002)

Module leader: Peter Mayer

20 Credits

200 hours: 40 contact hours (1:5) (5 Hours for Discussion group tutorials)

  • The foundation of Chinese Medicine theory, diagnostics and practice is deeply rooted in ancient medical thinking. “On Cold Damage (Shang Han Lun)” and “Warm disease (Wen Bing)” are two of the most important ancient clinical books. Both of them have a great relevance to the modern practice of Chinese medicine. “On Cold Damage (Shang Han Lun)” is the first book which tried to incorporate medicinal therapy into the medicine of systematic correspondences together with channels and network vessels. “Warm disease (Wen Bing)” undertakes a comprehensive discussion of the foundations and treatment of warm disease, which can be differentiated by four aspects, like Defense, Qi, Construction and Blood (Wei, Qi, Ying, Xue). This module aims to provide an in-depth understanding of the pathology, syndromes, diagnostics, and formulas discussed in both books from the perspective of its systematic clinical approach.

    Module Leader – Dr. Peter Mayer

  • Day 2 : Instructor : PETER MEYER

    9:30 - 13:00:

    • Introduction to the Classics

    Online.

  • Day 1 & Day 2 - Instructor : PETER MEYER

    9:30 - 13:00

    • Shang Han Lun 1

    Online

  • Day 1 - Instructor : PETER MEYER

    9:30 - 13:00:

    • Shang Han Lun 2

    Online

    Day 2

    9:30 - 13:00:

    • Shang Han Lun 3

    Online

  • Day 1

    9:30 - 13:00:

    • Shang Han Lun 4

    Day 2

    9:30 - 13:00:

    • Shang Han Lun 5

    Online

  • Day 1 (Instructor : WINDER / TONY)

    9:30 - 13:00:

    • Wenbing 1

    Day 2

    9:30 - 13:00:

    • Wenbing 2

    Online

  • Day 1 (Instructor : WINDER / TONY)

    9:30 - 13:00:

    • Wenbing 3

    Online

Prevention

Module 3 -The Prevention and Treatment of Disease

(Code :CHM003)

Module leader: Anthony O Connor, Mei-Yao Wu

40 Credits

400 hours

  • This module will involve the exploration and modification of formulae from the perspective of Chinese medicine disease categories. Here you will learn the key information on herbal medicine prescription needed to practice effectively as a practitioner. The diseases covered will be explained in terms of Chinese medicine patterns and you will learn the appropriate formula to treat each pattern of the selected disease and importantly the dosages used. Group discussions of real case histories will extensively be employed so that you gain an in-depth understanding of what really works in practice. A thorough grounding in disease pattern differentiation and their associated formula will enable you to effectively design suitable formula for patients in the clinic module.

    Module Leader – Dr. Mei-Yao Wu

  • Day 2 (Instructor : Ying-Ling Chen /

    katherine ZHI HUA GAO)

    9:30 - 13:00 & 14:00-18:00

    • Digestive Disorders

    On-line streamed from Taiwan in the morning and UK in the afternoon

  • Day 1 (Instructor : Ying-Ling Chen /

    katherine ZHI HUA GAO)

    9:30 - 13:00 & 14:00-18:00

    • Nephrology and metabolism

    On-site streamed from Taiwan in the morning

    Day 2 (Instructor : Ying-Ling Chen /

    katherine ZHI HUA GAO)

    9:30 - 13:00 & 14:00-18:00

    • ENT

    On-site streamed from Taiwan in the morning

  • Day 1 & 2 (Instructor : Ying-Ling Chen /

    katherine ZHI HUA GAO )

    9:30 - 13:00 & 14:00-18:00

    • Dermatology

    On-line streamed from Taiwan in the morning and UK in the afternoon

  • Day 1 (Instructor : Ying-Ling Chen /

    katherine ZHI HUA GAO )

    9:30 - 13:00 & 14:00-18:00

    • Hepatobilliary

    On-site streamed from Taiwan in the morning

  • Day 2 (Instructor : Ying-Ling Chen /

    katherine ZHI HUA GAO)

    9:30 - 13:00 & 14:00-18:00

    • Disorders of the Liver and Gall Bladder

    On-line streamed from Taiwan in the morning and UK in the afternoon

  • Day 1 (Instructor : Eyal Ben-Arie)

    9:30 - 13:00

    • Urinary Disorders 1

    On-line streamed from Taiwan in the morning and UK in the afternoon

    Day 2 (Instructor : Eyal Ben-Arie)

    9:30 - 13:00

    • Urinary Disorders 2

    On-line streamed from Taiwan in the morning and UK in the afternoon

  • Day 1&2 (Instructor : HUNG-RONG YEN / Jasmine Yeh)

    9:30 - 13:00

    • TCM Paediatrics

    14:00-18:00

    • Metabolic Disorders

    On-line streamed from Taiwan in the morning and UK in the afternoon

  • Day 1 (Instructor : Han-Kuei Wu / jasmine yeh)

    9:30 - 13:00

    • Bi and Wei syndrome

    14:00-18:00

    • Headaches and Migraine

  • Day 1 (Instructor : SHAN-YU SU / JASMINE YEH)

    9:30 - 13:00 & 14:00-18:00

    • Obstetrics and Gynaecology

    On-line streamed from Taiwan in the morning and UK in the afternoon

  • Day 1 &2 (Instructor : MEI-YAO WU )

    9:30 - 13:00

    • Respiratory Disorders

    14:00-18:00

    • Presentations CHM003

    On-line streamed from Taiwan in the morning and UK in the afternoon

Ethnopharmacy

Module 4 - Ethnopharmacy

(Code: CHM004)

Module leader: Tony Booker

20 Credits

200 hours

  • This module focuses on the safe and regulated use of Chinese herbal medicines. Here we focus on understanding quality and safety issues, dosage forms, regulatory and licensing requirements as well as looking at how products can be manufactured and dispensed in a small pharmacy. We will examine traditional and modern pharmacognostical methods and contextualise these within the wider framework of traditional East Asian medicine. We will consider the supply chain and discuss issues of cultivation, manufacture and distribution with an emphasis on quality, safety and sustainability. This module will look at issues concerning the supply of Chinese herbal medicines to the Europe. There will be an emphasis on the quality control of medicinal plants and you will learn some key techniques in order to be able to detect adulterants within herbal supplies. We will also look at issues of manufacturing and dispensing and you will learn different methods of producing herbal plasters, creams and ointments.

  • Week 5 - Day 2 (Instructor : TONY BOOKER)

    9:30 - 13:00:

    • Ethnopharmacy 1 -Quality control and manufacturing

    14:00 -18:00:

    • Ethnnopharmacy 2 -Dosage and dosage forms

    On-site

  • Day 1 (Instructor : Su-Yin / TONY BOOKER)

    9:30 - 13:00:

    • Ethnopharmacy 3 – Toxicology and Adverse Reactions

    14:00 -18:00:

    • Yellow card reporting scheme

      Tutorial (2hours)

    On-line with 2 hour lecture online in the morning from Su-Yin.

  • Day 1 (Instructor : tony BOOKER)

    9:30 - 13:00 & 14:00 -18:00:

    • Ethnopharmacy 3

      Visit to Chinese Herbal Garden

    Fieldwork visit

  • Day 1 (Instructor : TONY BOOKER)

    9:30 - 13:00

    • Ethnopharmacy 4

      Ointments, Creams and Tincture Manufacture

    14:00 -18:00:

    • Tablet and capsule manufacture

    On-site

  • Day 2 (Instructor : TONY BOOKER /WINDER CHANG)

    9:30 - 13:00

    • Ethnopharmacy 5-Medicinal Plasters

    14:00 -18:00:

    • Oral Presentations CHM002

    On-line with 2 hour lecture from Winder Chang

  • Day 1 (Instructor : Eyal Ben-Arie)

    14:00 -18:00:

    • CHM004 Poster

    Online

    Day 2 (Instructor : Eyal Ben-Arie)

    14:00 -18:00:

    • CHM004 Herb Recognition Test

    On-line streamed from Taiwan in the morning and UK in the afternoon

Module 5 - Clinical Practice

(Code: CHM005)

Module leader: Tony Booker, Hung-Rong Yen

60 Credits

600 hours: 255 contact hours (240 hours spent with patients)

  • The Clinical Practice module is taught in the Manchester clinic and in China Medical University Hospital and affiliated hospitals in Taiwan. You will be guided by the clinical supervisors in the ability to construct individual herbal formulas for patients. You will be tutored in the skill of transforming and synthesising one or more classical herbal formulas in terms of traditional knowledge, modern research and current clinical experience in order to treat each patient with the maximum effectiveness. Case discussion sessions will provide a forum for debate and reflection and is a method particularly favoured by teaching hospitals in Taiwan. Throughout this module you will be expected to develop your case history taking skills and to develop understanding of the relevance of tongue and pulse diagnosis to the construction of a complex diagnosis and treatment principle relevant for herbal medicine. You will also develop ways of accessing relevant clinical and research information to assist in the construction of herbal formulas. There will be time to explore the various ways that herbal medicine may be applied or dispensed, dosage levels and emphasis placed on cautions, contra-indications and safety.

    Module Leaders – Dr Tony Booker (UK), Prof. Hung-Rong Yen (Taiwan)

  • Clinic 1 -2

    Onsite

    *(Clinics run 9am to 6pm), Lecture content is indicative and subject to change

  • Clinic 3

    Onsite

  • Day 1 & 2

    Diverse Case Discussion

    TCM pharmaceutical manufacture

    Dosages, extraction ratios

  • Day 1 & 2

    Clinic 4

  • Clinic 5

    onsite

  • Clinic 6-10

    onsite

  • Clinic 11-15

    onsite

  • Oral viva CHM005

    onsite