20 Tibetan medicine practitioners were awarded the professional license for finishing their apprenticeship on April, 10 in Lhasa, becoming the fifth group of successors of veteran Chinese medicine expert with academic experience. So far, the number of Tibetan medicine successors of experienced experts has reached 72.

In 1990, the Ministry of Health and the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine jointly launched the inheritance project of veteran Chinese medicine experts with academic experience.

In Tibet, successors in the field of Tibetan medicine must spend three years learning from a veteran Tibetan medical expert in order to understand and master the academic thinking, clinical technology and seek innovation.

Hu Xuejun, deputy director of Health and Family Planning Commission of Tibet Autonomous Region, said, "due to historical reasons, many veteran doctors from pastoral areas haven't received a formal education. Establishing the successor system provides them with qualifications for practicing and teaching medicine, so that their traditional skills can be passed down."

The 20 successors mentioned above are all from the clinical work line of Tibetan medicine. Among them, two have already received a doctorate from Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, eight a master's degree and one has already passed the post-doctorate thesis defense and assessment.

The 44-year-old Tsering Samdrup is one of the successors who received his doctorate last year. "Through my teacher's one-to-one guidance, my external operation skills improved dramatically. After graduation, I will return to the Tibetan hospital of Tibet Autonomous Region to use these skills in clinical diagnosis and treatment, and to pass them on to more students," he said.

With a history of more than 3800 years, Tibetan medicine, along with traditional Chinese medicine, ancient Indian medicine and ancient Arabic medicine, is known as "the world's four traditional medicine". At present, there are already 15 Tibetan medicine therapies and skills that have been included in the national intangible cultural heritage list.