New Course Offering Free to All: Introduction to Tibetan Medicine
Dr. Kunchok Gyaltsen, Visiting Professor of Medicine, and Dr. Leslie Blackhall will be offering a free, eight-week [July 9 – August 27], introductory course in Tibetan Medicine.
What is Tibetan Medicine? Tibetan Medicine is a traditional medical system, utilizing behavior and dietary modification, herbal remedies, massage, acupuncture and other techniques. With roots in Tibetan philosophy, this system integrates mental and physical aspects of health to treat illness and improve well-being .
Classes will meet weekly, on Wednesdays [beginning July 9 and concluding August 27] from 6:15 -7:30 p.m. in the 6th floor of the West Complex at UVa. Although students are encouraged to attend each week, individual sessions will also stand alone for those who cannot attend each session. This course is appropriate for all levels of students and will include “hands-on” teaching.
To inquire about registration, please contact Dr. Leslie Blackhall: LB9X [at] hscmail.mcc.virginia.edu (to mail remove the “[at]” and replace with @)
Topics will include:
- Overview of this medical system, including comparisons with biomedicine and other traditional medical systems
- Mind-body connections in health and disease
- Approach to diagnosis
- Lifestyle and diet
- Overview of herbal medication
- Use of massage, acupuncture and related treatments
About the instructors:
Dr. Kunchok Gyaltsen is currently a visiting Professor of Medicine at the UVa School of Medicine. He is the first Tibetan to earn a PhD in Public Health at the UCLA School of Public Health in Los Angeles. He was ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist monk in 1981 at Kumbum Monastery in Amdo, Tibet currently called Qinghai Province, P.R. China. From a young age he studied both Buddhism and Tibetan Medicine under the guidance of knowledgeable teachers at Kumbum Monastery and Kumbum Tibetan Medical Hospital. Dr. Kunchok Gyaltsen has been nationally recognized as a scholar in his field by the National government.
Dr.Leslie Blackhall is Section Head of Palliative Medicine at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. She has studied Tibetan Medicine under Dr.Yeshe Dondhen since 1980 and has her Masters of Theologic Studies in addition to her MD.
Note: This course is not sponsored by the UVa Tibet Center