Integrating traditional apprenticeship and modern educational approaches in traditional Chinese medicine education

BackgroundThe traditional apprenticeship system and modern educational models both contribute to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) education in unique ways. This study aims to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of these approaches and investigates their potential integration for optimal TCM teaching.MethodsThe study employs a comprehensive literature search strategy with specific keywords through Boolean Operators, focusing on articles discussing TCM education, sourced from the databases PubMed, Scopus, and CNKI. For comparative analysis, the study analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of three distinct approaches-traditional, modern, and hybrid-in TCM education. Finally, we use a spider plot methodology to visually evaluate across 11 critical educational aspects for these approaches.ResultsA comprehensive review of 70 articles on TCM education highlights the value of both conventional and modern approaches. Conventional methods often emphasize teacher-centered clinical training that aligns well with the apprenticeship model, serving to bridge formal academic learning with hands-on experience. Modern methods incorporate elements like technology and formal accreditation but caution that the absence of traditional apprenticeship could dilute core TCM principles. One recurring theme across multiple studies is the enduring importance of apprenticeship-a pedagogical cornerstone rooted in TCM's historical and cultural context-as well as its tension with modern methodologies that incorporate online resources and scientific frameworks. An integrated approach attempts to harmonize these strengths but reveals a gap in interactivity, suggesting that incorporating apprenticeship could offer a practical, hands-on method to improve student engagement.ConclusionsConventional methods in TCM education emphasize teacher-centered clinical training akin to apprenticeship, modern methods incorporate technological advances and formal accreditation; however, the absence of traditional apprenticeship could compromise core TCM principles, and an integrated model, though striving to harmonize these elements, still falls short in the area of student interactivity.