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Interview with President Yemeng Chen
President Chen Yemeng was the first president I interviewed at the beginning of 2024. Dr. Chen graduated from Shanghai and Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in China. He has been president of the New York College of Traditional Chinese Medicine for 18 years. He previously worked for 6 years on the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine in the United States and held positions such as secretary-general, vice chairman, and chairman. He is also the president of the American Chinese Medicine Association, vice chairman of the World Traditional Medicine Forum, executive committee member of the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies, and co-chairman of the Education Committee of the World Acupuncture Federation.
Zhang Zhenzhen: President Chen, greetings, and Happy New Year! It’s a great honor and pleasure to have the opportunity to interview you today. You have been interviewed multiple times and featured in different publications. Today, I’d like to ask you a few questions from different perspectives, hoping to benefit our readers.
Can you tell us about the background and reasons for the establishment of your college?
President Chen: The New York College of Traditional Chinese Medicine was founded in 1996 by Dr. Zhou Qi in Long Island, New York. Dr. Zhou came to the United States in the early 1980s with an education background in Western medicine and Western studies. After arriving in the U.S., she taught at two acupuncture schools but was dissatisfied with the curriculum and teaching methods. Driven by the desire to establish an authentic Chinese medicine school, she mortgaged her clinic to fund the founding of the New York College of Traditional Chinese Medicine. I admire her courage as she started school at the age of 68, well beyond retirement. I came to the U.S. at the end of 1995 and was appointed as the dean and clinical director of the college. In the beginning, with only five students, limited funds, and few staff, I was involved in designing and teaching many courses, from basic theory to clinical practice, classical texts to modern research. I even handled tasks like answering phones, opening, and closing the school, and cleaning. Due to the limited exchange between Chinese and American TCM education at the time, the curriculum in American acupuncture schools differed significantly from that in mainland Chinese medicine schools. Dr. Zhou’s belief was to establish an authentic Chinese medicine school to bridge the gap with mainland Chinese education. Over the years, we have remained committed to imparting Chinese medicine knowledge genuinely and systematically. In 2006, Dr. Zhou retired due to health issues, and I took over as president.
Zhang Zhenzhen: What qualifications are required for the establishment of acupuncture schools in the United States?
President Chen: Schools need to apply to the state government, demonstrating sufficient funding to sustain operations for several years, a well-developed curriculum, and a qualified faculty. Once these requirements are met and the school has a physical presence, it can enroll students. While the requirements may seem modest, schools must undergo periodic inspections and accreditation by a third-party organization, the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM). This organization is accountable to the U.S. Department of Education. Only with accreditation from this organization can the state government allow the school to continue operating, and students can apply for student loans. As a non-profit institution, schools take the ACAOM accreditation seriously, as failure could lead to severe consequences, including the revocation of the school’s license. The New York College of Traditional Chinese Medicine has received the highest seven-year accreditation in its recent evaluations.
Zhang Zhenzhen: You mentioned that in the early days, the school faced financial challenges. How did this improve? Financial issues are a common problem for many schools, and some even struggle to pay teachers’ salaries. How is it at your school?
President Chen: About 90% of our funding comes from student tuition, with some additional revenue from clinical services. As president, one of my responsibilities is fundraising, although I admit it hasn’t been enough. The initial financial investment by Dr. Zhou when founding the school was a dedication to society. In the first few years, Dr. Zhou did not take a salary. Later, the president’s salary was approved by the school’s board of directors. When I took over as president, I actively visited libraries and churches in various communities, promoting Chinese medicine knowledge, our school, and clinic. The Jewish community in Long Island was particularly interested in Chinese medicine. I once gave a speech in a Jewish temple, and they even invited me to sing the U.S. national anthem with them. Despite some cultural confusion, the experience was enjoyable. Through collective efforts, we increased the number of students and patients, gradually improving our financial situation. When I assumed the presidency, we had a $200,000 deficit, but in the second year, we implemented cost-saving measures and generated a surplus of over $40,000. Since then, we have not incurred losses for over a decade. Currently, we have several million dollars in the bank. We have never faced a situation where teacher salaries were unpaid. Even with a surplus, our finances must be balanced and have a surplus throughout the year. The most significant expenses for the school are rent and staff salaries, and we even provide year-end bonuses. In recent years, student numbers have slightly decreased, a trend seen in acupuncture schools nationwide, and a challenge faced by universities across the U.S.
Zhang Zhenzhen: How many students rely on loans, and what are the prospects and living standards for graduates?
President Chen: About 50% of our students apply for government student loans. After graduation, some start their practices, while others work in other clinics or hospitals. Due to the opioid crisis in the U.S., causing a significant number of deaths comparable to those caused by illicit drugs, there is a collective call for non-pharmacological pain relief. The U.S. Joint Commission, a hospital accreditation organization, has added non-pharmacological pain relief services as a certification standard, with acupuncture being one of the options. Therefore, acupuncture has substantial potential for development in the U.S., and the demand for acupuncturists is increasing. Many employees in Wall Street and the IT industry in New York need acupuncture to relieve mental and physical stress. It is said that there is at least one acupuncture clinic on every street corner in Manhattan. Some of my students work in U.S. Veterans Affairs hospitals, and some have even opened acupuncture clinics in the Pentagon. Their lives should be quite good. In recent years, no graduate has said they cannot support themselves with their diploma.
Zhang Zhenzhen: Does your school admit international students and issue I-20 visas? What are the prerequisites for applying to your school? What degrees does your school offer, and is there a doctoral degree?
President Chen: We have some students from Taiwan, mainland China, and South Korea, and we issue international student visas. However, international students cannot apply for U.S. government student loans. The minimum requirement for students is to have completed 60 college credits, typically achievable by the second year of college, and they can apply without necessarily completing their bachelor’s degree. They also need to fulfill nine credits of biomedical courses, such as anatomy, physiology, and biology. If they lack prior biomedical credits, they can take additional courses at our school to meet the requirements for admission. This is a requirement for all students. International students also need to have English proficiency, with a TOEFL score of 61, an IELTS score of 6, or pass the Chinese College English Test (CET) Level 6. These foreign transcripts also need to be certified by a specialized agency.
Our college awards two types of degree certificates: Bachelor of Professional Studies/Master of Science in Acupuncture and Bachelor of Professional Studies/Master of Science in Acupuncture and Chinese Herbology. We also plan to launch a doctoral program and will apply to the New York State Department of Education when adequately prepared.
Thank you, President Chen, for an enjoyable and informative conversation. I hope our discussion sparks interest in your college among more people. I will include the website of the New York College of Traditional Chinese Medicine here.
紐約中醫學院—原汁原味傳授中醫
訪問陳業孟院長
陳業孟院長是我2024年開年訪談的第一位院長，陳博士畢業於中國上海、北京中醫藥大學，現擔任紐約中醫學院的院長18年，曾任職全美針灸和東方醫學院校論 認證委員會6年，擔任秘書長、副主席及主席。兼全美華裔中醫藥總會會長，世界傳統醫藥論壇副主席，世界中醫藥學會聯合會主席團執行委員，以及世界針灸學會聯合會教育工作委員會共同主任委員等職。
章珍珍：陳院長好，新年好！今天能榮幸地約訪到身兼數職的您，真地十分榮幸與感謝！ 前幾天又得知您曾被採訪多次，也都分別發表在不同的報紙上。 我今天就試著從不同的角度請教幾個問題，希望能幫助我們的讀者。
您的學院是在什麼背景下創立？為什麼？
陳院長：我們紐約中醫學院是於1996年由周杞醫生在紐約長島創建的，週醫生80年代初來美，她有西醫和西學中的教育背景。 來美後，週醫師曾在美國的兩所針灸學校任教，她喜歡教書的工作。但因為不太認同美國學校安排的課程內容和教學方法，於是自己挑起大樑創辦這所以華人為主的學校，那年她已經68歲，已過退休年齡。 非常有魄力的她把自己的診所抵押，創辦紐約中醫學院。 我由衷地佩服她，就是一位女中豪傑。我是95年底來美，經人介紹，被委任為學院的教務長、臨床主任等職。第一屆學生只有5人。由於學員少，資金有限，我擔任了許多課程的設計和教學，從基礎理論到臨床實習，從經典古籍到現代研究。而且，剛開始時前台接電話的是我；早上開門，晚上關燈，甚至掃衛生，也是我。當時，由於中美中醫的交流有限，美國的針灸學院和大陸的中醫學院的教學內容大不相同。週杞院長的信念是建立一個原汁原味的中醫學院，縮短與大陸中醫教育的差距。多年來，我們一直堅守正規地、原汁原味地傳授中醫知識這一信念。10年後的2006年，週醫師身體欠佳退休，由我擔任校長至今。
章珍珍：美國對針灸學院的成立有什麼資格要求？
陳院長：學校向州政府提出申請，證明有足夠維持幾年的資金；完備教學課程規劃和師資隊伍；設立的圖書館有一定數目的藏書。滿足這些要求並有個學校雛形就可以招生了。看起來要求不高，但學校要接受第三方機構,即全美針灸和東方醫學院校認證委員會（ACAOM）（現改名為針灸與草藥醫學認證委員會，ACAHM）的定期檢查認證。這個機構對美國教育部負責。 我們只有通過這個機構認證，州政府才允許繼續辦學，在校學生才能申請學生貸款。我們是非營利機構，這個第三方認證機構的人員，根據ACAHM的十項標準與具體細則，來學校實際考察學校的設施，翻閱課程內容，找教師和學生談話等，給各項指標打分，提出修改意見，不合格的就很麻煩。甚至可能被吊銷學校的執照，所以，每個學校都非常重視每隔幾年的第三方認證，不敢有一點怠慢。紐約中醫學院最近兩次都拿到七年的最高認證期限。
章珍珍：您說到建校當初，資金捉襟見肘，後來又是如何改善的？我也知道學校的最大問題是財政狀況。我曾工作的學校，有些時候會虧欠老師的薪水。請問貴校怎麼樣？
陳院長：我們的財政來源90% 來自學生的學費，其他有些來自臨床門診，身為校長的工作之一是找募捐，但我做的還不夠。我們是非營利機構，校長創辦學校時的財務投入就是對社會的奉獻。最初幾年周校長沒有工資。後來校長的薪水由學校的董事會批准。我任院長後手拿筆記型電腦，走訪各社區的圖書館、教堂，宣傳中醫知識，宣傳我們學校和診所。長島的猶太人社區，很喜歡中醫。一次我被邀在一個猶太教堂裡聚會後做個演講，他們讓我旁邊坐一會兒，忽然看見他們在唱美國國歌，我就站起來一起唱，結束後正要坐下，看見他們還站著繼續唱，聽不懂他們唱什麼，納悶應該站還是坐，想想還是繼續站吧，或許是用希伯來文唱以色列國歌。當他們短會結束後正式邀請我演講，他們蠻有趣的，特別認真。大家群策群力，就這樣經過大家的努力，學員增多了，門診的病人也增加了，我們逐漸改善了財政狀況，儘管我接手學校的當年，虧損了20萬，之後的第二年,我們做了很多節流開源的工作，獲利了4萬多。之後十多年都沒有虧損過。目前在銀行還有數百萬的存款。我們從來沒發生過虧欠老師薪水的事。即使有剩餘，每年從一月到十二月財務也必須收支平衡並有結餘。學校最大的開支，是房租和員工的薪水，年終還能發獎金。近年來學生人數略有減少，全國針灸院校普遍都有類似情況，這也是全美國大學都面臨的問題。
章珍珍：有多少學生依賴貸款？學生畢業後的去向和生活水準如何？
陳院長：在校生約有50%申請政府的學生貸款。他們畢業後，有的是自己開業，有的是受僱在他人診所或醫院。由於美國鴉片類鎮痛藥的濫用造成社會危機，所導致死亡的人數，與毒品造成的死亡人數一樣多。美國三大機構（科學院、工程院和醫學院 The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine）共同呼籲並提倡非藥物鎮痛，總統也宣布美國進入公共衛生緊急狀態。美國的醫院認證機構聯合委員會（The Join Commission）也增加了醫院設置非藥物鎮痛服務作為認證的一個標準，針灸是其中的選項之一。因此，針灸在美國還有很大的發展空間，針灸師的需求也越來越多。 紐約華爾街和IT行業的員工很多人需要針灸的幫助，緩解精神和身體的壓力。據說曼哈頓的每一街角的大樓至少有一家針灸診所。我的一些學生就職於美國退伍軍人醫院，甚至在五角大廈開設了針灸診所。他們的生活應該都不錯。近年來沒有一個畢業生來訴說，憑他的文憑無法養活自己。
章珍珍：貴校招收國際學生嗎？發I-20簽證？申請您學校的學生有哪些必備條件？貴校提供怎樣的學位？有博士學位嗎？
陳院長：我們有一些來自台灣、大陸和韓國的學生，並發放留學生簽證。 但留學生不能申請美國政府的學生貸款。對學生的最低要求是必須得到大學的60個學分，一般大學二年級的學生就能有60個學分，就可以申請，不一定大學畢業，畢業後獲得碩士學位；另外還要滿足9個學分的生物醫學課程，如解剖學、生理、生物等。如果之前沒有生物醫學的學分，也可以在我們學校補課，滿足要求就可以入學，這是對所有學生的要求。國際學生還要有英文成績，托福61分、雅思6分，通過中國大學英語程度六級考試也可以。這些國外成績單也要通過專門機構認證才行。
我們學院發兩種學位證書：專業學習學士學位暨科學碩士針灸；專業學習學士暨科學碩士-針灸與中藥學。我們也計劃開設博士班，在準備充分時，向紐約州政府教育廳提交申請。
謝謝陳院長，很享受與您的趣味交流，輕鬆務實。希望我們的談話能讓更多的人對您的學院感興趣。我會把紐約中醫學院的網站附在這裡。https://www.nyctcm.edu
