Block Clinical Practice 2

Interns participate in a 300-hours supervised internship (including 24 hours inter-professional practice) and they are placed in a position to take substantial responsibility for all aspects of managing, marketing and running of the clinic. The objective of this unit is to instill in students a desire to achieve excellence in the practice of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine/dispensing, engage in inter-professional practice and work collaboratively with other health care practitioner, and contribute to improving both the quality of life of patients and the wellbeing of the community and the environment.

Students are required to complete 150 treatments with acupuncture and/or Chinese herbal medicine. The treatments with acupuncture must be roughly equal to the treatments with Chinese herbal medicine. The range of areas covered should include: internal medicine (minimum 50 treatments); traumatology (minimum 40 treatments); gynaecology (minimum 15 treatments); paediatrics (minimum 5 treatments); and dermatology (minimum 10 treatments).

The internship includes patient assessment, comprehensive differential diagnosis, treatment using Chinese medicine and/or acupuncture or other auxiliary treatment(s), patient communication in awareness of Australia’s healthcare context including multi-cultural/multi-racial issues that may affect practice, the application of basic counseling skills, ethical professional behavior, referral processes, the reporting of adverse events, the application of appropriate first aid measures for adverse reaction to treatment, prompt transfer to medical services where appropriate, and infection control and safety.

Students are also required to participate in activities on and off campus for 24 hours for inter-professional learning. Non-TCM practitioners such as medical practitioners (GPs), physiotherapists, chiropractors, psychologists and Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander health practitioner are invited on campus to provide students with an understanding of their health care approaches, to provide formal presentations and informal discussions and/or case study analyses of their approaches to health care and management. Inter-professional learning may take place off campus at approved non-TCM practitioners’ clinics. Students may arrange to visit, observe, and interact with practitioners in at least two different disciplines (e.g. GP, physiotherapist, etc.) within the allocated hours for inter-professional learning. Students may engage with non-TCM practitioners regarding consultations and treatment options, and contribute insights from the TCM standpoint and options of TCM treatment. The desire to achieve excellence in the practice of acupuncture and/or Chinese herbal medicine and to contribute to improving both the quality of life of patients and the wellbeing of the community and the environment will be a key feature in the teaching and learning of this unit.

1. Critically analyse clinical information gained by conducting a comprehensive problem focused interview, and proficiently conduct a physical examination appropriate for the safe, competent, independent practice of acupuncture and/or Chinese herbal medicine; communicate in a manner of cultural sensitivity.
2. Critically differentiate TCM diseases and syndromes and decide and modify TCM treatment plans in a judicious manner within the TCM scope of practice.
3. Evaluate the effects, strengths and limitations of TCM treatment with evidence-based practice.
4. Proficiently demonstrate: appropriate TCM therapeutic methods (incl. herbal medicine, acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping and guasha) according to the patient’s situations, appropriate patient education and health-monitoring; professional case record documentation; appropriate herbal dispensing and herbal preparation (paozhi) when necessary; awareness of appropriate and prompt management of adverse events if there is any (incl. reporting, first aid measures, transferring, etc).
5. Appropriately provide necessary referral for inter-professional collaboration to advocate on behalf of patients and contribute to improving both the quality of life of patients and the wellbeing of the community and the environment;
6. Adhere to CMBA’s Code of Conduct, policies, codes and guidelines to provide safe and competent manual practice of acupuncture, processing and dispensing of Chinese herbal products; Comply with the fundamental legal responsibilities of registered Chinese medicine practitioners including management of their own mental and physical health, and to demonstrate the attitude of continuing education and self-evaluation

Assessment 2: VIVA Examination (50%)

Assessment 3: Case Study Analysis (30%)

Bensky, D., & Barolet, R. (2009). In Scheid V. (Ed.), Chinese herbal medicine: Formulas & strategies (Rev. ed.). Seattle, WA: Eastland Press.

Bensky, D., Clavey, S., Gamble, A., & Stoger, E. (2004). Chinese herbal medicine: Materia medica (3rd ed.). Seattle, Wash.: Eastland Press.

Chinese Medicine Board of Australia. (2018). Codes and guidelines. Retrieved from http://www.chinesemedicineboard.gov.au/Codes-Guidelines.aspx

Cheng, X., Cheng, Y., & Deng, L. (2010). Chinese acupuncture and moxibustion (3th ed.). Beijing: Foreign Languages Press.

Cole, K., & Australian Institute of Management. (2004). Crystal clear communication: Skills for understanding and being understood (2nd ed.). New York; Sydney: Prentice Hall.

Davis, C. M. (2006). Patient practitioner interaction: An experiential manual for developing the art of health care (4th ed.). Thorofare, NJ: Slack Incorporated.

Maciocia, G. (2008). The practice of Chinese medicine: The treatment of diseases with acupuncture and Chinese herbs (2nd ed.). Edinburgh; New York: Elsevier.

National Health and Medical Research Council. (2010). Australian guidelines for the prevention and control of infection in healthcare (2010). Retrieved from https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/about-us/publications/australian-guidelines-prevention-and-control-infection-healthcare-2010

Australia Government. (2019). Poisons Standard June 2019, 9 May 2019. Retrieved from https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2019L00685