By Casey Neill
A Lilydale student is getting hands-on experience in Taiwan as part of his Chinese medicine studies.
Jarryd Harvey, 24, will complete an eight-week internship at the Tzu Chi Hospital in Taipei from 2 March.
He received $5000 for his intern and travel expenses as part of the Federal Government’s New Colombo Plan (Mobility Program).
The initiative allows Australian domestic students aged between 18 and 28 years to undertake a mobility project abroad within the Asia Pacific region.
The trip is part of his third year Bachelor of Health Science (Chinese Medicine) studies at the Southern School of Natural Therapies.
“I wanted to take part in the experience to get an undertaking of how acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine is used in the mainstream healthcare system, and how it can be used to complement western medicine,” Mr Harvey said.
“I felt that I was successful for the role as I have extreme passion for Chinese medicine as a therapy to heal the physical and emotional body.”
He said Chinese medicine helped him to get his life back on track after a chronic health issue that wasn’t able to be treated with western medicine.
“I hope to connect to the oriental traditional of Taiwan by learning from world class doctors who are experienced in western and Chinese medicine,” he said.
“I hope to bring this knowledge and experience back home to Australia with me to help others recover from chronic health issues.”
Mr Harvey will attend lectures and participate in hospital rounds, making clinical observations and observing treatments on a variety of patients with dermatological, gynaecological, musculoskeletal and paediatric concerns.
He will live in the hospital’s dormitories with local interns and medical students during his time there.
The Tzu Chi Hospital is a non-profit Buddhist teaching hospital and Taiwan is considered to be at the forefront of Chinese medicine.
