Advanced Clinical Acupuncture Externship in Greece: EIIHS and Yo San University in Collaborative Practice

EIIHS co-founders Dr. Aram Akopyan, Benjamin Saez, and Allison Simpson with the inaugural externship cohort from YoSan University.

As part of the Winter Intensive Practicum at the European Institute of Integrative Health Sciences (EIIHS), five Master’s and Doctoral students from Yo San University of Traditional Chinese Medicine joined EIIHS in Athens for a two-week advanced clinical externship.

Designed as a postgraduate clinical exchange, the program brought together trainees from distinct academic lineages for an immersive experience combining daily didactic instruction with hands-on clinical practice in a real community clinic. What emerged was not only technical growth, but a deep exchange of clinical reasoning, perspective, and professional identity.

A Postgraduate Clinical Exchange Model

During their two weeks at EIIHS, visiting Yo San students participated fully in the rhythm of the Winter Intensive. Mornings were dedicated to focused didactic instruction, followed by afternoons in clinic treating patients alongside EIIHS interns and supervisors. Students also joined weekly Clinical Theatre, where complex cases were discussed collaboratively and in real time.

Didactic topics reflected both classical depth and contemporary application, including Stems and Branches, Master Tung acupuncture, Balance Method, aesthetic acupuncture, and a dedicated lecture examining inflammation through both Western biomedical and Traditional Chinese Medicine perspectives. This structure allowed students to immediately test theoretical frameworks in live clinical settings, sharpening diagnostic clarity and treatment strategy through direct application.

Students from YoSan University attend a special lecture on inflammation from rheumatologist Dr. Apostolos Kontzias.

Medicine as Dialogue, Not Doctrine

A defining feature of the externship was the collaborative clinical environment created between institutions, cohorts, and levels of training.

Jane Hong, a doctoral student in the DAcCHM program at Yo San University, described the experience as an expansion—both intellectually and clinically. She reflected on how stepping into a different educational and cultural context broadened her understanding of what Chinese medicine can be when shaped by different curricula, teachers, and lineages.

“When you step into a different system of thought, your understanding of what is possible expands. You start to see how the same ancient roots can grow into countless expressions. What stood out most for me was Clinical Theatre—medicine as dialogue, medicine as collective intelligence, medicine as a living investigation.”

Rather than sterile academic exercise, she described these sessions as dynamic, investigative, and deeply collaborative—spaces where practitioners of different levels gathered around complex cases and built differential diagnoses together in real time. The emphasis on careful observation, curiosity, and restraint reinforced the idea that strong clinical practice begins with inquiry rather than certainty.

Clinical Confidence Through Immersion

YoSan students Leila Balter and Samuel Audette consult together as they administer treatment.

For many participants, the intensity of the externship translated directly into clinical clarity.

Ruby Gee described the two-week Greece intensive as one of the most impactful clinical learning experiences she has had to date. She emphasized the immediacy with which concepts were taught and applied, particularly in relation to I-Ching acupuncture, mirroring, and Master Tung point combinations.

“I learned more in the Greece two-week intensive than any other clinic experience. The material was explained clearly enough that I was able to immediately start applying it in patient treatments. I now look forward to returning to my school’s clinic with tools I can use right away.”

Her reflection echoed a broader sentiment shared by the cohort: that immersion, responsibility, and close supervision accelerate integration in ways that fragmented clinical exposure cannot.

A Shared Lineage and Institutional Vision

Reflecting on the collaboration, Dr. Aram Akopyan, Dean of Academics and Co-Founder of EIIHS—and a graduate of Yo San University—described the externship as both a professional milestone and a reaffirmation of purpose.

“As a co-founder and Dean of Academics at EIIHS, creating a meaningful externship partnership with Yo San University represents a full-circle moment. Hosting postgraduate students from the institution that shaped my own clinical foundation reaffirmed my commitment to the work we are doing at EIIHS—educating practitioners who are thoughtful, grounded, and prepared to serve at the highest level. As Yo San often says, join us and become the medicine.”

EIIHS co-founder and YoSan alumnus Dr. Aram Akopyan proudly distributes the certificate of completion to YoSan student Jane Hong.

This collaboration reflects a shared educational philosophy rooted in rigor, service, and lineage—one that honors tradition while remaining responsive to the realities of modern clinical practice.

Learning Beyond the Clinic

The externship experience extended beyond the treatment rooms and lecture space. As part of their time in Athens, visiting students participated in a guided exploration of the Acropolis and the ancient Asklepieion, grounding their clinical work in the historical roots of medicine, healing, and public health.

Students enjoy a special guided tour of the Acropolis and the ancient Asklepieion in Athens.

Students also joined the EIIHS community for its annual Chinese New Year celebration, held at a local Chinese restaurant in Athens. These moments of shared culture and tradition reinforced an essential understanding: Chinese medicine is not only a clinical system, but a living lineage sustained through community, ritual, and relationship.

Looking Ahead

The collaboration between EIIHS and Yo San University reflects a long-term commitment to advanced clinical education, respectful exchange between lineages, and immersive postgraduate training.

As EIIHS continues to expand its international clinical partnerships, future cohorts of Master’s and Doctoral students will have opportunities to participate in similarly structured externships that integrate rigorous academics, hands-on patient care, and cultural engagement. These programs are designed not as brief visits, but as sustained collaborations that elevate standards of clinical training across institutions.

Learn More About Clinical Training at EIIHS

EIIHS offers a hybrid academic model that integrates rigorous theoretical study with immersive, hands-on clinical intensives in Athens, Greece, and international hospital settings.

If you are a prospective student, postgraduate trainee, or faculty member interested in participating in future externships or clinical intensives, we invite you to connect with us.

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