Studying with us

DIPLOMA IN CHINESE MEDICINE

 

Poornam College of Acupuncture is offering a Diploma in Chinese medicine running over 2 semesters

from September 2026 till June 2027. The course will introduce students to the philosophy of Chinese

medicine, acupuncture point locations and their functions, anatomy and safe practice, the therapeutic

relationship and 5 clinical skills.

The 5 clinical skills are cupping, gua sha, moxibustion, NADA protocol and pulse taking (as a diagnostic

tool).

On completion, students will have a strong conceptual foundation in Chinese philosophy, knowledge of

the meridians and the ethics that guide the therapeutic relationship. These would advance the 5 clinical

skills taught on this course and enable students to become highly skilled and responsible therapists.

We have a partnership with the International College of Oriental Medicine in the UK which regularly

sends faculty to Colombo and for online lectures giving students a premium level international exposure

to some of the best practitioners in the field of Chinese medicine.

NOTE: The completion of this Diploma is NOT sufficient to practice acupuncture; rather it is an

opportunity to complete the introductory modules of an acupuncture clinical curriculum and to

ascertain whether the student wants to initiate further study for two more years in order to become a

clinician. However, with the clinical skills gained in this course, students will be able to practice very

effectively as Chinese medicine therapists. If students are already practicing a manual therapy, this

would further enhance their practice.

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The Diploma in Chinese medicine course will complete the following modules:

1. Chinese Medicine 1

2. Point Location 1

3. Anatomy 1

4. Therapeutic Relationship 1

5. Clinical Observation 1

6. Clinical Skills 1 (Cupping, guasha, moxibustion, NADA protocol, pulse taking)

 

• Time commitment:

Students will be expected to attend every Tuesday during term time and one Sunday a month from

9.30am-4.30pm with a 1-hour break for lunch. Some sessions will be conducted online from lecturer’s in

the UK. In addition, students are expected to commit around 5-10 hours a week of self-study in order to

revise the material which will be tested with regular quizzes and exams.

• Assessments:

Regular assessments will be held during and at the end of each semester. A pass mark of 55% and an

attendance of 80% is mandatory to successfully complete the module. Students must pass all the

modules (aggregated at the end of the academic year) to continue to the acupuncture clinical stream if

they choose to study further.

• Accreditation:

Having submitted the application, Poornam College of Acupuncture is currently in process of acquiring

registration from the Sri Lanka Vocational Commission which we hope to obtain before the end of the

academic year. If this process is successful, students will have this accreditation on their certificates at

the end of the course.

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• Further study:

On successful completion of the Diploma, students can elect to continue their studies to the clinical

stream. In order to become a fully qualified acupuncture clinician, students must pass the following

modules which will take 3-4 years. Successful completion of the Diploma in Chinese Medicine course

would mean students would have already passed 6 of these modules therefore completing their first

year of an acupuncture clinical curriculum.

 

1. Chinese Medicine 1

2. Chinse Medicine 2

3. Chinese Medicine 3

 

1. Point Location 1

2. Point Location 2

3. Point Location 3

 

1. Applied Chinese Medicine 1

2. Applied Chinese Medicine 2

 

1. Therapeutic Relationship 1

2. Therapeutic Relationship 2

3. Therapeutic Relationship 3

 

1. Anatomy 1

2. Anatomy 2

 

1. Physiology 1

 

CLINICAL MODULES:

1. Clinical Observation 1, 2 and 3

2. Clinical Skills 1 and 2

3. Supervised Group Clinic 1 and 2

4. Supervised Clinic 1

5. Summer residency