PhD Curriculum For the Traditional and Complementary Medicine Program: A Qualitative Comparative Study in the Chinese and Iranian Medical Universities

Background: Recently, the traditional and complementary medicine has largely gained interest among scholars across the globe. Keeping pace with the on-going trend, the Iranian academia have provided the PhD course on Traditional Iranian Medicine. In this study, we attempted to perform a qualitative study, comparing the PhD curricula of the Chinese and Iranian traditional medicine in detail. Methods: The PhD curricula of 11 departments of traditional medicine affiliated to the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology were studied, and qualitatively compared and contrasted with that from the Educational Development Centre, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (MUMS), Iran. Results: The whole characteristics of the program were delineated in terms of mission, vision, values, aims, and action plan, prior to the courses offered in the program as well as the evaluation methods. Conclusions: To sum up, we pinpointed the strengths and weaknesses of the PhD curriculum for the Traditional Iranian Medicine in comparison with the Chinese one, aiming at improving it nationwide.