Since 2002, Dr Greta Young has presented Chinese medicine seminars and workshops to the Australian Chinese medicine community, seeking out and bringing to this country a succession of no less than fourteen experienced academicians and clinicians from China, each a specialist in a particular field, with many years of concerted clinical experience. Over the past ten years, her efforts have been instrumental in providing some of the most valuable lecture experiences in Australia, serving as a mature level of continued educational opportunity for practitioners and advanced students alike.
The development of Chinese medicine in Australia has made huge advances in the past 20 years. However, although we now have well-structured courses modelled closely on those of China, accreditation models, and national registration, we still lack the enormous literary and clinical resources of the mother country of Chinese medicine. The sharing of such expert knowledge and experience goes a long way to bringing clinical learning opportunities in this country to the higher level seen in China.
Dr Greta Young was awarded her masters degree of Chinese Medicine in <em>Wen Bing</em> at the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, later returning to complete her doctorate on <em>Shang Han Lun</em> under the supervision of Professor Fu Yan Ling. She spent twelve years lecturing in classic literature at the major universities and colleges in Melbourne. This publication is not merely a collection of all the material delivered over the past ten years, but is also a souvenir of these memorable experiences, and a tribute to the dedication of Dr Greta Young in her admirable initiative in instigating and organising the Pearls of Wisdom Seminars, the objective of which is to enhance the knowledge and skills of practitioners in Australia.
It goes without saying that there is considerable work behind the scenes and the success of the seminars and workshops is due in great measure to the many enthusiastic assistants who have stepped into the breach and contributed generously with their time to ensure that all aspects of the event were managed without a hitch – from venue hire, promotions and editing, right down to registrations and refreshments. Whilst there are too many to mention individually, particular credit must go to Patsy Chou as the longest serving managerial assistant, having been by Greta’s side from 2002 until 2010.
The faithful support of attendees has also been greatly appreciated, and it would not have been possible to organise such an event without the support and sponsorship of many over the years. A special thanks to our key sponsor Health World Pty Ltd who has been sponsoring this event since 2003 and thanks must also go to RMIT and UTS for co-hosting our seminars over the years.