Volume 1, Special Edition | Current Kampo Medicine 2005

Education for Kampo Medicine
Oriental medicine was a traditional form ofmedicine which supported Japanese health since the5th century A.D. After the Meiji Restoration in 1868,
however, Western medicine became the field ofmedicine that was taught at schools, and the entire
medical affairs system was established and operated
based on Western medicine. Accordingly, for morethan 100 years Oriental medicine was hardly evertaught at medical schools. Oriental medicine was only
practiced by a small number of physicians who studied
medicine on their own after graduating from medicalschool, and by pharmacists who handled herbal
medicine which remained in use. Pharmacologists whospecialized in the study of herbal medicine andpharmacology helped them from the sidelines. But
with very few educational opportunities available, they
were supported only by a small number of private
research groups. In many instances, education wasprovided from teacher to student, or that is to say,from one individual to another.
1. Undergraduate Education at Medical Schools
Now that Chinese herbal medicine used formedicinal purposes is covered by public healthcare
insurance, the situation has changed – and many
medical schools have started to teach Kampo Medicine.
The first medical school to offer courses in Kampo
Medicine was Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical
University, followed by Tokyo Women’s MedicalCollege. With other medical schools subsequently
considering the need to teach Kampo Medicine, theseschools now teach it to their students through avariety of different programs.
In April 2003, the Ministry of Health, Labor andWelfare made it a requirement for medical schools toinclude Kampo Medicine in their core curriculum.
Professor Katsutoshi Terasawa, who has been involvedin this matter since the beginning and who has worked
hard for the establishment of this requirement, has
instituted the study of Kampo Medicine in the corecurriculum as follows.

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TABLE 1

Plan for Model Core Curriculum at Toyama Medical andPharmaceutical University

E.

Basics of Clinical Practice2.

Knowledge of Basic Medical Treatment(1)

Treatment with Japanese Kampo Medicine
General Goals

1.

2.

Study of the basics required for an application of Japanese Kampo
medicine within clinical practice (basic concepts of Kampo
medicine, diagnostics, use of individual prescriptions).
Development of a holistic perspective, acquisition of the ability toselect the optimal therapy for any given patient, including the useof Japanese Kampo medicine.
Achievement Goals

1.

Acquisition of the ability to explain characteristics and basic
concepts of Kampo medicine (functions of qi, blood, water;comprehension of the conceptual pairs deficiency - excess,superficial - deep, hot - cold)2.

Ability to explain the basic differences between Kampo and Western
medicine.

3.

Ability to explain Kampo medical diagnostics (comprehension of thefour diagnosis methods: observation, listening and smelling, patientquestioning and palpation).

4.
5.

Ability to explain the Kampo concept of "Sho (pattern) "(comprehension of pattern orientated therapy).
Ability to explain the composition of Kampo preparations,pharmacologic actions and their indications.

6.

Ability to explain representative side effects of Kampo preparations
and relevant precautions.

7.

Ability to explain EBM in relation to Kampo medicine andintegration with western medicine.

Table 1: Proposed Model Core Curriculum at Toyama Medical andPharmaceutical University

According to a survey conducted by Nikkei Medical
magazine in February 2004, 79 of the 80 medical
schools in Japan now teach Kampo Medicine. Thoseschools offer lectures on the subject, specially arranged
to meet their individual needs.
An example of this is the enhanced educational
program at Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical
University, as follows:
TABLE 2
Syllabus of Medical Treatment and Japanese Kampo
Medicine at Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University forpre-graduation in 2002
2nd YearIntroduction of Japanese Kampo Medicine
History Medical and Pharmaceutical Science30 hours
30 hours

4th Year

Medical Treatment and Japanese Kampo Medicine

30 hours

5th YearJapanese Kampo Medicine,
Coursework of Clinical Applications

5 hours

5th and
6th Year

Clinical Training of Japanese Kampo Medicine

31 hours(5 days)

Table 2: Syllabus of “Medical Treatment and Japanese KampoMedicine” at Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University

The Journal of Kampo, Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine (KAIM)

Volume 1, Special Edition | Current Kampo Medicine 2005

Subject of StudyContent of Learning

1

The role of Kampo Medicine inmodern western medical care Five viscera concept

Comprehensionofthecharacteristics of western andKampo Medicine as well as thefive viscera concept.

2

Qi -Blood-Fluid concept, Qi
deficiency, Qi stagnation, Qi
reversal

Regarding preparations for themain symptoms of Qi deficiency,Qistagnation,
Qi
reversalconditions according to the Qi-Blood-Fluid concept

3

Qi deficiency,
stagnation

Comprehension of preparations
for the main symptoms of Qi
deficiency,
Oketsu,Fluidstagnation.

4

Yin-yang,deficiency-excess,cold-heat and exterior-interiorconcept

No.

5

67

Oketsu,Fluid

Comprehension of the concept andthe disease stages of andpreparations
forthemain
symptoms of six-channel diseases.

Composition of preparations

Comprehension of the compositionof Kampo medicines

1st Day
9:00

TueWedThu

Gain an understanding regarding
the reconciliation of oriental andwestern medicine as well as side
effects of Kampo medicines
through practical examples.

Table 3: Main Theme of “Medical Treatment and Japanese
Kampo Medicine” Lesson at Toyama Medical and PharmaceuticalUniversity

8:00～8:30
Reading Circle

8:30～
Orientation

8:00～8:30
Reading Circle

9:00～
Clinical Clerkship(ambulatory
practice)
9:00～
Clinical Clerkship(ambulatorypractice)
9:00～
Clinical Clerkship(ambulatorypractice)
9:00～
Clinical Clerkship(ambulatorypractice)Mon

Recognition and comprehension oftheindividualyin-yang,deficiency-excess, cold-heat andexterior-interior disease states.

Six-channel diseases (greateryang, brighter yang, lesser yang,greater yin, lesser yin orreverting yin)

Reconciliation of oriental andwestern medicine - side effects of
Kampo medicines

Based on this educational program, the othermedical schools have devised and offer curricula thatare best geared to their individual needs.
A number of universities and research institutes
have devised special curricula by which they holdlectures in Kampo Medicine. For instance, the Japan
Institute of TCM has with favorable results been
holding a 6-day camp-style seminar for medical
students throughout Japan (who feel that the course
offered at their own university is not enough).

Fri

8:00～8:30
Reading Circle

8:00～8:30
Reading Circle

8:00～8:30
Reading Circle

10:00～
17:30～
ClinicalClinicalClerkship
Conference(stationarycare)
Clinical Clerkship(stationary care)

Clinical Clerkship(stationary care)

13:30～15:30
Professor’s
Round

16:30～
Abstract
Reading

ClinicalClerkship(stationarycare)

16:00～
17:00
Wrap-up

Table 4: Clinical Training in Japanese Kampo Medical
Treatment at Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University

2nd Day
Breakfast

3rd Day
Breakfast

4th Day
Breakfast

5th Day
Breakfast

6th Day
Breakfast

Kampo pathology②

Kampo dosimetry①

Kampo therapy

Workshop①

Special lecture⑨

Kampo diagnostics

Kampo dosimetry②

Special lecture④

Workshop②

Lunch

Lunch

10:30
Special lecture⑪

12:00

Special lecture⑫

13:00
14:00

Lunch

Lunch
Lunch

Assembly（14:00）
Kampo Medicine
around the WorldKampo pharmacology

Special lecture②

Kampo physiology

Special lecture①

Special lecture③

DinnerDinnerDinnerSpecial lecture④

BreakupExcursion

15:30

Clinical conference

17:00

19:00
20:00

Kampo pathology①

DinnerDinnerSpecial lecture⑤

Special lecture５

Drug practiceClinical lectures

Kampo pathology②

21:00

Table 5: Japan Institute of TCM’s Curriculum for “Kampo Medicine Seminar for Medical Students”

The Journal of Kampo, Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine (KAIM)

65

Volume 1, Special Edition | Current Kampo Medicine 2005

Diagram 1: Texts Used in “Kampo Medicine Seminar for
Medical Students”

These texts include an outline of Kampo Medicine,the history of Kampo Medicine, its physiology, etiology
and pathology, as well as the study of its diagnosis,drugs, prescriptions and therapeutics.

2. Postgraduate Education and System ofSpecialized Medicine
Kampo Medicine is taught in a variety offormats at the postgraduate level. This educationis conducted in many different forms. There aremany independent study groups around Japan,
including courses sponsored by the Japan Society
for Oriental Medicine, research groups sponsoredby pharmaceutical companies, and researchgroups sponsored by local physician associations
around Japan.
The Japan Society for Oriental Medicine,which holds lectures at its various chapters,
endeavors to contribute to the continuing
education of medical specialists, while local
physician associations around Japan periodicallyhold seminars suited to clinical and everyday
purposes. Pharmaceutical companies offer
lectures delivered by top speakers in the field, tofurther improve the use of their products in theirendeavors to spread correct and accurate
knowledge.

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In 1989 the Japan Society for Oriental
Medicine introduced a system of specialized
medicine. With the emergence of this system, themembership of the Japan Society for Oriental
Medicine has doubled. This has resulted in avariety of different studies being conducted at thesame time, so that in addition to traditional
medical research methods used thus far, there
have emerged methods employing Chinese herbal
medicine based on Western medical methodology.
As a result, Kampo Medicine has entered a newphase, including the development of new
medicines to treat specific diseases. And
education programs have developed accordingly.
Among the problems in education at thepresent time are how to teach academic systemsof Kampo Medicine which are not necessarily
simple, and how to position traditional medicineof Japan from an international perspective.
In order to breathe life into Kampo Medicine
on both clinical and everyday levels amid therapidly progressing field of Western medicine,
Chinese herbal medicine must not merely exist as
a substitute for Western medicine but ratherKampo Medicine must be understood as a system
in its own right. The basis of education exists here.
Education in Kampo Medicine in Japan is still ina period of transition.

The Journal of Kampo, Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine (KAIM)