Hospital-Based Integrative Acupuncture Training at Dhulikhel Hospital: Day Two Clinical Rounds

Expanding Hospital-Based Integrative Acupuncture Education

Day Two of the European Institute of Integrative Health Sciences (EIIHS) collaboration with Dhulikhel Hospital in Nepal focused on formal program inauguration and hands-on clinical integration within hospital departments.

Led by Dr. Aram Akopyan, Dean of Academics and Co-Founder of EIIHS, the day emphasized interdisciplinary education, real-time clinical demonstration, and the proper application of integrative acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) within orthopedic and physical medicine care.

Dr. Aram Akopyan conducting integrative acupuncture clinical rounds in the Orthopedics and Physical Medicine departments at Dhulikhel Hospital, Nepal.

General Assembly Address Inaugurating the Program

The day began with a general assembly speech formally inaugurating the integrative acupuncture and TCM program at Dhulikhel Hospital.

Dr. Akopyan addressed hospital leadership and clinical staff, outlining the academic and clinical framework guiding the collaboration between EIIHS and Dhulikhel Hospital. The address emphasized integrative acupuncture as a complete medical system and set the context for its responsible application within hospital-based care.

Clinical Rounds in Orthopedics and Physical Medicine Departments

Following the assembly, Dr. Akopyan conducted clinical rounds in the Orthopedics and Physical Medicine departments, demonstrating complex patient treatments and integrative acupuncture applications in an active hospital environment.

In attendance were physicians, nurses, physiatrists, and physical therapists, many of whom had prior exposure to concepts such as dry needling and expressed strong interest in learning the proper use of acupuncture grounded in Traditional Chinese Medicine principles.

These rounds provided live, case-based education illustrating how integrative acupuncture can be incorporated into orthopedic and rehabilitation settings alongside conventional medical care.

Demonstration of Advanced Integrative Acupuncture and Manual Techniques

During clinical rounds, Dr. Akopyan demonstrated a range of advanced integrative techniques, selected for their relevance to orthopedic, neurological, and musculoskeletal conditions.

Demonstrations included:

• Manual therapy for TMJ dysfunction

• Electroacupuncture for torticollis

• Cervical distraction TuiNa for cervical nerve impingement

• Fire cupping to release myofascial layers along the Gallbladder (GB), Small Intestine (SI), and Large Intestine (LI) meridians

• The “Lumbago Dance,” an EIIHS-developed protocol for lumbar pain

• Kinesthetic acupuncture for frozen shoulder

Each demonstration emphasized clinical reasoning, anatomical awareness, and appropriate technique selection within a hospital setting.

Interdisciplinary Learning in a Hospital Environment

A defining feature of Day Two was the interdisciplinary exchange that took place during the clinical rounds. Medical and rehabilitation professionals observed treatments, asked detailed clinical questions, and engaged in discussion around how integrative acupuncture can complement orthopedic and physical medicine care.

This collaborative environment reflects the educational standard EIIHS sets for its students: the ability to work within hospital systems, communicate across disciplines, and practice integrative medicine with clinical responsibility.

What This Experience Looks Like for EIIHS Students

For current and prospective EIIHS students, Day Two offers a realistic picture of what hospital-based international clinical training involves.

Externships of this nature are intensive. They require long clinical days, adaptability, and professionalism within demanding medical environments. At the same time, they offer rare opportunities to deepen clinical skill, expand interdisciplinary understanding, and gain experience that cannot be replicated in classroom-only settings.

At the end of a full day of hospital rounds and clinical teaching, students participating in experiences like this are immersed not only in rigorous clinical environments, but also in the broader context of where that learning takes place. The day concluded with a view of the Himalayan mountains at sunset—an opportunity to pause, reset, and prepare for the work ahead.

Sunset over the Himalayan mountains following a full day of hospital-based clinical rounds at Dhulikhel Hospital, Nepal.

Continuing the EIIHS–Dhulikhel Hospital Collaboration

Day Two further demonstrates EIIHS’s commitment to hospital-based integrative medicine education, interdisciplinary collaboration, and clinically rigorous acupuncture training.

Additional updates will be shared as the collaboration continues, highlighting how this partnership expands educational pathways for EIIHS students and strengthens the role of integrative acupuncture within modern healthcare systems.

Study Integrative Medicine and Acupuncture at EIIHS

EIIHS offers academic programs designed to prepare students for real hospital environments, interdisciplinary collaboration, and international clinical experience.

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At EIIHS, integrative medicine education is practiced within real healthcare systems.