Korean medicine practitioner featured at premiere Transcultural Practice Symposium

Hoyoon-Chong

Hoyoon Chong, professor and practitioner at the Virginia University of Oriental Medicine.

The science of a medical practice from Korea and its potential to complement Western health care was the topic of the first-ever Transcultural Practice Symposium.

Hoyoon Chong, professor and practitioner at the Virginia University of Oriental Medicine, introduced more than 40 faculty, students and guests in COBE 320 April 13 to Sasang Constitutional Medicine (SCM) and its foundations. SCM is a unique traditional Korean therapeutic alternative form of medicine.

"SCM practitioners coach our patients on ways to restore the body to its optimized condition," said Chong, a third-generation practitioner.

He detailed the healing mechanisms that underlie SCM, the eight body types or constitutions that practitioners use to guide their work and SCM’s emphasis on a taking and interpreting a patient’s pulse. He also reviewed the means by which SCM practitioners approach common disease management, saying, "Disease is caused by severe imbalances that come from stresses like aging and SCM works to correct those imbalances."

Chong also talked about the key role played by the patient in his or her own recovery process.

"The patient must ultimately decide to make the effort as there are many things a patient can do on their own behalf," he said. "We are looking to their recovery as well as repair."

AsianMedicine-participants

Waldron College of Health and Human Services faculty and students participate in the inaugural Transcultural Practice Symposium.

The objective of the inaugural two-day event was to explore SCM, one of many complementary and alternative medical practices, and how it might complement Western health care, said Assistant Professor of Nursing Euna Lee, co-chair of the Transcultural Practice Steering Committee.

Assistant Professor of Nursing Linda Ely, steering committee co-chair, said that collaborative efforts to exchange the scientific basis and evidences of both oriental medicine and Western medicine can enhance modern health care and integrating them can be of value to a patient.

On Tuesday, Chong demonstrated SCM with individualized consultation sessions for almost 40 people at the Waldron College of Health and Human Services Interprofessional Forum and Expo.

The Scholar-Citizen Initiative, School of Nursing, Waldron College, International Education Center and Sigma Theta Tau International Epsilon Psi Chapter sponsored the Transcultural Practice Symposium.

Apr 22, 2015