Australian student insights from Taiwanese Chinese Medicine internship

Through the New Colombo Plan, Chinese Medicine students immersed themselves in a model of integrated medicine that few Australians get the chance to experience firsthand. What they discovered at Tzu Chi Buddhist Hospital wasn’t just clinical practice; it was a vision of what healthcare can become when tradition and innovation work side by side.

Angela Lane accompanied the students for the initial 2 weeks and maintained regular contact from Australia for the remainder of the program.

Clinical integration at Tzu Chi Hospital

The structure at Tzu Chi Hospital represents a fundamentally different model from what we typically see in Australian healthcare settings. Chinese Medicine operates as a fully integrated component of the public hospital system, supported by Taiwan's National Health Insurance scheme.

Our Chinese Medicine students were embedded within multidisciplinary care teams in the outpatient departments. Each patient consultation involved 4 to 5 practitioners working collaboratively with the attending doctor, resident physician, intern, student and nurse.

This team-based approach distributed responsibilities across case history documentation, diagnostic assessment, treatment planning and the application of therapeutic modalities, including moxibustion (burning a dried herb near specific acupuncture points) and acupuncture.

The clinical volume was substantial. Physicians typically consulted with approximately 20 patients within a 2-hour period. Students got to watch complex herbal prescriptions, acupuncture protocols that extended beyond standard curriculum, and integrated treatment plans that blend Western diagnostic findings with traditional Chinese Medicine approaches.

Tahlia Ciappara

Professional development and clinical exposure

The initial weeks were a significant challenge for the students. They encountered herbal formulations and combinations not covered in standard coursework, managed the demands of high patient volume and adapted to a clinical environment operating at considerable pace.

However, they demonstrated strong professional development. Students cultivated relationships with supervising practitioners, refined their clinical questioning and developed pattern recognition skills through ongoing clinical observation.

The educational component included lectures on classical acupuncture theory and the five Circuits, holographic microsystems and emerging applications such as laser acupuncture. Clinical observations spanned pediatric cases, post-stroke rehabilitation, dementia care, and oncology support.

Despite the challenges, the students learned a lot from the experience.

“This internship has been an incredibly enriching and broadening experience academically, culturally, and personally,” said Tahlia Ciappara, one of our participating students.

“From the moment we arrived, Tzu Chi Buddhist Hospital welcomed us warmly and ensured a smooth transition into our internship., I feel privileged to witness TCM being utilised to its full capacity, helping a diverse group of patients through a system that integrates seamlessly with Western medicine and is made accessible through Taiwan's national healthcare scheme.

“I am truly grateful to have the opportunity to witness how this medicine can improve so many lives. I hope that by learning and applying these practices, I can contribute to the future development and integration of Chinese medicine in Australia.”

Angela said of the experience that, “As a staff representative of Torrens University Australia, it was a privilege to participate and learn so much in this program.”

Broader educational experiences

Beyond the hospital environment, students visited a Chinese herbal pharmacy processing 450 prescriptions daily with a staff of 11 pharmacists. The facility demonstrated the efficiency of electronic prescribing systems, where hospital prescriptions are transmit directly to the pharmacy for precise herbal compounding and automated dose packaging.

During scheduled breaks, students explored the cultural and geographic landscape of Taiwan. Their travels included visits to Jiufen, the temples of Tainan, and hiking near Teapot Mountain. Taiwan's excellent public transportation system lets students travel independently despite language differences.

Living arrangements included 3 male students in one dormitory and 5 female students across two additional rooms. Students developed a respectful working relationship that let them to work well together during their time of close proximity. Throughout the 8-week placement, students managed their online coursework while keeping up with the intensive internship schedule.

New Colombo Plan experience

In the final week, Angela asked students to characterise their experience. Their responses included broadening, confidence, empowering, connection, growth, challenge, enlightening, perspective and joy. 3 students have already enrolled in the upcoming Nepal program.

The value of this Chinese Medicine internship lies in the students' exposure to a resourced, integrated healthcare system. They acquired clinical techniques and approaches that will inform their future practice. They engaged with practitioners conducting advanced clinical research and delivering sophisticated patient care.

The Chinese Medicine internship in Taiwan was initiated in 2018. Having designed and led the Taiwan Clinical Placement Program over the past 3 years, I’ve seen firsthand how transformative this experience has been for our students. This partnership continues to grow stronger, and the feedback from the hospital has been overwhelmingly positive, particularly regarding our students’ professionalism, skills and engagement. What students discovered at Tzu Chi Buddhist Hospital wasn’t just clinical practice, it was a vision of what healthcare can become when tradition and innovation work side by side.

Taiwan, with its population of 23 million, has developed a healthcare infrastructure that successfully integrates traditional and modern medicine. This integration, supported by national policy and funding, represents a model that Australian healthcare systems are still working to establish.

After our students had spent 8 weeks immersed in this system, they returned with enhanced clinical confidence and a broader understanding of what Chinese Medicine can achieve when supported within mainstream healthcare delivery.