Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Program Overview
The Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine is 10-semester program that deeply explores areas of Traditional Chinese Medicine such as psychology, oncology, gerontology, acupuncture detox, research and the classic texts that first recorded the principles of this powerful and ancient system of medicine.
New students can apply directly to this program, or can take it as a 1-year post-graduate program upon completion of the Diploma of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine or a 2-year post-graduate program upon completion of the Diploma of Acupuncture. The curriculum is the same whether students apply directly into this program or matriculate from the above-mentioned programs.
Length: 10 semesters
Intakes: Winter, Summer, Fall semesters
Clinical Training: 1065 hours
Total Training: 3840 hours
PRC is not just a school, but is a living educational institution in diversity where one can learn true professionalism in TCM. The TCM program in PRC is not simply a study of books or experimental practice in closed clinic rooms. PRC offers its unique Global Outreach Program. Through the volunteer experience of GOP, a student can face various diseases in different environments of China, Nepal, and African countries. It provides a great opportunity for a student to become a TCM practitioner outside the school.
– Tae Byun Hyun, Alumnus
Why Pacific Rim College?




What You’ll Learn:
Key Learning Outcome #1
The ancient and powerful system of Traditional Chinese Medicine, with extensive research into its classical applications and to contemporary applications in modern medicine and research.
Key Learning Outcome #2
Extensive background of biomedical understanding of the human body, its physiology, common pathologies and modern pharmacotherapy.
Key Learning Outcome #3
The application of extensive herbal knowledge to modern research and potential future therapeutic discoveries.
Key Learning Outcome #4
Psychological applications of Traditional Chinese Medicine, from landmark ancient texts to Five Element theory to the treatment of addictions.
Key Learning Outcome #5
The experience to establish a private clinic of Traditional Chinese Medicine or to join an integrative health centre.
Learning about TCM has changed my reality and the way I perceive the purpose of life forever. Pacific Rim College allowed me to develop my skills and understanding in a supportive, nurturing, and loving environment. I did a portion of my clinical residency in China, which only reinforced my confidence in all we have been taught at PRC. I could follow what the doctors were doing, I could recognized herbal formulas, predict point prescriptions, and work with the doctors in furthering my understanding of the classic texts. Even fellow TCM students in China were impressed at how much we have learned throughout our studies, which is a testament to the quality of education at PRC. Finally, to me, PRC has been more than school, it has felt like family.
– Carmen Bedard-Gautrais, Alumnus
Core Program Instructors

Curriculum
Below is a list of all courses that must be completed to be eligible for graduation with a Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine Diploma provided that a student has first fulfilled graduation requirements for the Diploma of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. Some course prerequisites do exist, and it is the responsibility of students to ensure that they are eligible to enrol in any particular course. Please click on course links below to see more course information including descriptions and prerequisites.
Acupuncture
Biomedical/Biological Sciences
Chinese Botanical Medicine
Chinese Medicine Clinical Practice
Elective
Oriental Medicine
Total Requirements
Total Requirements including Diploma of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
Acupuncture | 42 credits | 630 hours |
Biomedical/Biological Sciences | 26 credits | 390 hours |
Chinese Botanical Medicine | 42.5 credits | 637.5 hours |
Chinese Medicine Clinical Practice | 40 credits | 1065 hours |
Nutrition | 3 credits | 45 hours |
Oriental Medicine | 55.5 credits | 832.5 hours |
Professional Development | 13 credits | 195 hours |
Elective (ACU/CBOT/OM) | 3 credits | 45 hours |
Grand Total | 225 credits | 3840 hours |
Clinical Training
Students in the Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine program complete 1065 hours of direct clinical practice. Students can complete all clinical training in PRC’s on-campus Student Clinic, or can participate in our Global Outreach Program, Clinical Externship Program, or with our clinical partner in China, Liaoning University of TCM. Full-time students generally begin clinical training via observation during the very first week of studies.
Tuition and Fees
Tuition is based on a per credit system. Although the college provides guidance for the order of course completion within each program, ultimately each student determines personal course load and schedule and thus per semester tuition. Audited credits do not apply towards graduation requirements. All prices listed are in Canadian dollars. For each semester, full tuition payment is due on the first day of the semester.
Credits: $225/credit
Auditing: $150/credit plus tax
Auditing: $80*/credit
*Discount Audit tuition is available to current program students and diploma alumni. Current program students must maintain the equivalent registration of 9 semester credits to be eligible and pay the regular rate should registration drop below that threshold. Discounted audit rate is not available for courses for which there is a waitlist, weekend workshops, or CPR and First Aid. Diploma alumni no longer enrolled in a program are required to pay all applicable tuition at the time of course registration.
Please click here for a description of Academic Fees in PDF format.
Financial Aid
This program is approved for Canada Student Loans. British Columbia residents can apply for student loans online through StudentAid BC. For non-British Columbia residents, please visit hrsdc.gc.ca for information about Canada Student Loans.
For a list of all financial aid programs available to PRC students, please visit our Financial Aid page.
Post-Graduation
Graduates of the Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine program who have met the requirements of the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists (CTCMA) of BC, which includes 60 university credits of liberal arts or sciences, will be eligible to sit for the provincial registration exam to become Registered Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Dr.TCM) in the province of British Columbia. Based on reciprocity agreements, this distinction permits registrants to practice Traditional Chinese Medicine across Canada.
Students aiming for licensure by the State of Arizona Acupuncture Board of Examiners are eligible to do so only after completing PRC’s Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine program. The DTCM program meets the requirements of R4-8-403 and R4-8-404 (licensure qualifier under Arizona Revised Statutes 32-3924(2)).
Graduates who have completed required electives in appropriate disciplines may also meet the professional standards set by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM) in the United States. This has permitted them to sit for the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) acupuncture examination and thus be licensed in the majority of US states. PRC graduates aiming for licensure in the United States must have their credentials evaluated by ACCRAO.
Licensing Requirements
Practitioner licensing requirements vary based on region of governance. The Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine program is approved by the CTCMA of BC and meets the education requirements of many other provinces, states and countries. It is students’ responsibility to ensure they meet eligibility criteria in their chosen region.
FAQs
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), also commonly referred to as Oriental Medicine, is a comprehensive and ancient medical system developed over many centuries in China and regularly employed there as part of the standard medical system. TCM includes many different therapies, including acupuncture, which is an ancient form of medicine that specifically involves the insertion of extremely thin metallic needles into the body at various points – known as acupuncture points or acupoints – of which there are hundreds. The acupuncture needle metaphorically acts as a key to open up a blockage, which may be physical or energetic (e.g. stress, sadness) in nature. Other therapies also comprise the practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and these include herbal medicine, Tui Na (therapeutic massage), cupping and Gua Sha (massage-related therapies using implements), nutrition, Tai Qi Chuan and Qi Gong (movement- and energy-based therapies), and moxibustion (the external application of the herb known as mugwort). The primary goal in TCM is to release blockages to help the body restore balance and thus health.
Pacific Rim College is recognized as a leading college of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Canada. The acupuncture training and Chinese Medicine courses we provide are taught by experienced and qualified acupuncturists and practitioners and doctors of TCM. Many of our lecturers are world-renowned experts and authors in the field of Oriental Medicine. All programs within our School of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine meet or exceed acupuncture certification standards and Traditional Chinese Medicine certification standards throughout Canada and in many US states. Having admitted students from more than 35 counties, we truly are an international college of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Our students benefit from studying Chinese Medicine at our beautiful and historic campus in the heart of Victoria, British Columbia. Class sizes in all our herbal and acupuncture classes and Chinese Medicine clinics is monitored to maximize students’ learning of acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine.
In North America there are a number of different Traditional Chinese Medicine certification standards that vary from state to state and province to province. In British Columbia, one must meet the standards of the CTCMA to become a registered acupuncturist and practitioner or doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine (these credentials are similar to an acupuncture license or Oriental Medicine license in the United States) and thus to legally practice acupuncture and Oriental Medicine throughout Canada. The CTCMA requires candidates to study acupuncture and Oriental Medicine at a recognized college of Oriental Medicine and to subsequently earn a TCM diploma (an acupuncture degree and a degree in Chinese Medicine are not currently available in Canada).
There are many schools and colleges that provide the opportunity to study Traditional Chinese Medicine (a system of medicine of which acupuncture is part). A college of Chinese Medicine (also commonly known as a college of Oriental Medicine) in the USA typically awards a Traditional Chinese Medicine degree (Oriental Medicine degree) of some sort, which may be known as a Master’s of Acupuncture or a Master’s of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. Currently any school of Chinese Medicine in Canada is only permitted to award diplomas in acupuncture and TCM. A program to program comparison may reveal virtually no differences between a diploma of TCM or program and a Master’s of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine degree program, but educational regulations vary between countries and thus affect the credentials a college of Chinese Medicine can award.