Hi Yume92,
Here are some things that you may want to know about this course, as you make your decision
1. The TCM certificate is recognised by the TCM practicioner's board in Singapore, you will have to sit for an examination at the end of 5 years and you will be able to practise if you pass the exam. The TCMPB is
here. And if you want to see where you qualify, its under section C(i) currently. The first batch had just graduated in 2010 and the passing rate for the TCMPB exam was 97%.
2. The workload is heavy. You can look at the curriculum
here (although I guess you have already done so). In fact you can take a look at the timetables on the website for a clue.
3. TCM is not Conventional Medicine as we know it, but the topic on its own is very intriguing and it has 5000 years of efficacy, with its earliest medical records dating back to 481BC. It is a medical science in its own right.
4. There are a number of scholarships for the course, apart from the local ones which cover the first 3 years in singapore, you can obtain scholarships for your final 2 years in china from a number of organisations (e.g Eu Yan Sang, Thong Chai Medical, BUCM-State sponsored etc).
5. The international industry is growing rapidly, and there are research facilities globally (Germany is the world leader in accupuncture research; Korea and Japan are the main leaders in herbal research; there are alternative medicine centres in the US; Macua officially gained approval for its own research facility in 2010 etc). Physician/researchers with good communication skills in at least english and mandarin are in high demand in the field all over the world.
6. If you look at the industry merely locally, the recent news reports seem to suggest an increase in the number of people going to see tcm physicians annually.
7. Your degree is recognised by other Universities and employers, there are graduates who have been offered non-tcm biomedical science/medical courses for postgraduate study.
8. The TCM portion is taught in mandarin while the Biomedicine portion in english, some modules are taught in both languages even. But there is a gradual build up year by year so that your mandarin ability improves as you advance.
So people will end up being really disgruntled in the course while others will love it, but this happens in any field. If you are interested in the course, do try and go down to the tea-session and find out more when it comes around.