"Not all who wander are lost" - Tolkein
Two weeks ago, with my beautiful baby boy and wife safely ensconced at my in-laws, I packed up house and home, and with the help of some great friends moved our entire life into storage so that I could take the next leg of my journey in becoming a doctor of Chinese medicine. As I look out over Westlake on a rainy day, I can't help but think what a journey this has been...
I decided to make a career change 11 years ago, but it was not an easy decision. With a relatively safe and successful career as a musician and producer, and a wife as my writing partner there was a lot of resistance around me. But, through a lot of conversations with mentors and friends, and the not so graceful end of my marriage the possibility became very real. Still I didn't enter a masters program until 2010!! Change is difficult...
Fast forward to 2014, the final year of my masters program, I knew I had to go further. So I began looking at doctoral programs. If going deeper was my only way forward, that had to include spending as much time in China as possible. I've met so many American teachers that have never been, but still have really strong opinions about the way Chinese medicine is practiced in China and how it should be taught here in the states. I'm not that guy, I need direct experience. Five Branches University offered the most comprehensive China program by way of their joint Doctoral/PhD degree, so that's where I landed with the intent of studying at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou.
As with most Chinese administrations, I had to persist beyond the norms of humanity to get the few details I had about my trip before I left. After many emails with various directors and assistants I sort of knew what hospitals I'd be observing at, which narrowed down the neighborhood I needed to stay in. I had almost booked a place all the way across town, but at the last minute the visa administrator was able to track down the correct info. I also changed my hotel reservation the weekend before I left. I had booked a business hotel for the ridiculously low rate of $37 per night. Reviews were good enough, and I figured I could handle whatever "Chinese-ness" I was presented with. But then, a new review was posted and the reviewer completely killed the hotel, so I quickly found an Airbnb for the entire trip that looked great, and cost only $1/day more!!
I still had very little info about my day to day schedule. When I asked how many clinic hours the program would be I was told "we're not sure, get all your forms signed by supervisors and we'll sort it out when you get home." I had no idea how many days a week I'd be in clinic or class. Thankfully, as is often the case in China, the second I walked onto the Zhejiang campus, (and found the right person!!) I was completely taken care of. WeChat info was exchanged, emergency numbers, emails, translators, everything a newly arrived foreign student could need...
Now that I'm here it seems completely surreal. 7-8 hour clinic days, 6 or 7 days per week, seeing anywhere from 40-100 patients per day. I have translators with me in clinic, but it's often so fast paced that even they can't keep up. I'm often trying to figure out what English word their dictionary has decided upon (such as scurf instead of dandruff), while staying on top of the intake. It's done wonders for my Chinese language skills - both listening and reading as I am able to see the intake notes on a computer screen. I then spend my off hours visiting various teahouses, translating the days formula notes, and figuring out what I missed during the intake. I've actually never been so tired in my life, I collapse into bed each night.
But its completely worth it. My understanding of Chinese medicine, and culture has already taken major leaps. Immersion is the only way to do it!!! If you're at all interested in Chinese culture by way of medicine, martial arts or even just language and philosophy you have to come here. To quote Val Kilmer in Real Genius, "it's a moral imperative." I say it all the time, but China will kick your ass. It'll force you out of your comfort zone, defy all logic, and pull the rug out from underneath you. But then it will give the most beautiful experience you could ever imagine. More to come...
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