Certificate in Korean Medicine, Completed!

I’ve returned from my trip to Korea, and have completed the 2023 Exploring Korean Medicine program! This program was hosted by the College of Korean Medicine at Wonkwang University and the Center for International Cooperation & Education on Korean Medicine. It was an incredible experience. We visited multiple Traditional Korean Medicine hospitals and listened to lectures from some of the top minds in Korean Medicine. Our group observed treatments of actual patients in the hospitals, and received treatments as well. In Traditional Korean Medicine hospitals, modalities such as acupuncture, moxabustion, cupping, massage and foot soaks are the treatments; Western medicine approaches are utilized as needed or required.

As part of the program, the group visited multiple herbal medicine dispensaries, learned about various herbs and teas and how they impact our health, and had hands-on workshops related to herbal medicine. We even visited an area of Seoul that had an entire block (and then some) of nothing but herbal shops-every ingredient that you could imagine.

One unexpected but very welcomed experience was a lecture on Traditional Persian Medicine. The guest lecturer, Dr. Arman Zargaran, was in Korea to give a lecture to students at WKU, and our group was invited to attend. Traditional Persian Medicine

It has been fascinating to learn about multiple systems of traditional medicine. At the core, they are focused on human beings as a whole, and using traditional approaches first to treat the patient. There’s a noticeable emphasis on mental health, stress relief, exercise and dietary therapy to help patients improve. Western medicine isn’t ignored; it simply isn’t the go-to approach in every scenario.

I’m still processing everything that I have learned. Without a doubt, I am deeply humbled by having the opportunity for this experience, and I am grateful to have made this journey with a group of incredible healers.

I’ll be sharing some of my reflections, observations and learnings over the coming weeks on Instagram, and perhaps there will be a few posts here as well.