Abstract
We are very glad to present you with the first of two special editions of Medical Acupuncture focusing on acupuncture education via a global perspective. It is the first time the Journal of Medical Acupuncture has collectively published such an extensive series of articles on this essential topic.
Announcement of this topic by the Journal elicited extensive interest among the acupuncture educational community. We were very happy and excited to receive an extensive array of articles from many different acupuncture education-oriented professionals—to include those in different parts of the United States and around the world—such as from Australia, China, Japan, Ireland, Israel, the Republic of Korea, the United Kingdom, etc.
The medical acupuncture education and applications both in research and clinical fields worldwide are generating more and more attention. A recent PubMed search focusing on the last 10 years (2015–2025) revealed that over 500 review articles had been published on acupuncture education with new methods, hardware, and software tools being used in all aspects of integrative models and systems’ development. However, Medical Acupuncture appears to be the first journal to publish a concentrated collection of articles on this topic.
Included in this special edition, you will find many interesting topics from different educational professionals focusing on acupuncture education. These include (1) a teaching model that introduces several facets of acupuncture without following a rigid curriculum. This unfiltered experience increases the credibility of the effectiveness of acupuncture in the minds of students who regularly see a more satisfied patient population than in other routine practicing rotations (Koda, et al. in this issue). (2) With two decades experiences at Stanford University, an approach to medical acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine education has demonstrated sustained success and interest. This approach to acupuncture education aims to equip future medical professionals with a comprehensive understanding of this ancient practice and to situate it within modern undergraduate, premedical, and medical education (J. Xie, et al. in this issue). (3) Recent translations of the classical Chinese literature, carried out by multidisciplinary academics with expertise in both linguistics and biomedicine are bringing to light a perspective on the ancient texts that allows their fusion with mainstream Western health care (C. Foley in this issue). (4) It is essential to develop a comprehensive acupuncture curriculum that integrates both traditional theories and modern scientific research. This curriculum should include a diverse range of acupuncture techniques, such as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), auricular, scalp, and Japanese styles. Practical, hands-on training is crucial, with many opportunities for supervised clinical practice to ensure students gain necessary skills and build their confidence. Interdisciplinary learning, incorporating subjects like herbal medicine and nutrition, can provide a more holistic understanding of patient care (Sunil Jay, et al. in this issue). (5) Issues and strategies involving the development of acupuncture and moxibustion in Japan, to include increasing the number of educational programs and the number of acupuncturists and moxibustion practitioners in Japanese universities need to be considered, planned, and implemented (M. Kawai, et al. in this issue). (6) A 3D visualized anatomy model software (AcupointDG) has been developed by Dongguk University in the Republic of Korea, which can be used to enhance the understanding of acupoints and their associated neurovascular musculature. This app provides a comprehensive view of the human body’s anatomical structures related to acupuncture points and links to relevant research, aiding students in gaining a realistic and evidence-based understanding of acupuncture (S.-H. Kim, et al. in this issue). (7) An acupuncture teaching and training model focusing on effectively integrating Chinese medicine and Western medicine to cultivate acupuncturists’ knowledge learning and practice capabilities (W.-Z. Yu, et al. in this issue). (8) A suggestive discussion on training dentists to be able to provide acupuncture to dental patients included an important discussion on the type of training needed to ensure both safety and treatment effectiveness (G. Goddard in this issue).
From the topics and contents cited above, it’s clear that there are many new developments and trends involving acupuncture education. Besides the traditional methods used on acupuncture education, new methods and formats such as digital platforms, new approaches to combining traditional means with modern medical tools and systems, remote teaching, and even AI applications have been included.
In addition to the articles mentioned above, the Journal of Medical Acupuncture also organized a virtual Roundtable discussion in October 2024. This provided an opportunity to initiate some collaborative discussions on acupuncture education under the global perspective from acupuncture experts from Australia, China, Ireland, Israel, the Republic of Korea, and the United States (A. Pock, et al. in this issue).
To be a qualified acupuncturist, it is both crucial and essential to receive high-quality acupuncture education. From these articles, we not only learn about a variety of developed concepts, tools, and systems, but we can also share and appreciate some of the challenges and issues facing the future development of acupuncture education. One of the key points involves how to efficiently teach and train students to master the knowledge and clinical skills of acupuncture with safety and effectiveness. How to improve and enhance the quality of acupuncture education globally will be an ongoing challenge for the entire acupuncture community.
We hope you will enjoy reading these selected articles on acupuncture education and that they provide an opportunity for you to update your knowledge of global developments in this area. Meanwhile, we would like to hear your feedback and/or comments on any of the methods, tools, and systems that have been described in this special edition, as the underlying goal is to promote the scientific development of acupuncture education, to increase the number of qualified acupuncturists, and to deepen the study and extensive clinical applications of acupuncture for the benefit of patients worldwide.