By 
By Victoria Yanyun
TORONTO — The Ontario College of Traditional Chinese Medicine (OCTCM) held a celebration on August 10 to mark the expansion of its Chinatown campus in downtown Toronto. The ceremony brought together OCTCM President Prof. Bin Jiang Wu, Academic Dean Prof. Dylan Kirk, Sean Cassman (CEO of the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists of Ontario), and Katrina Delano (President of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Association of Ontario), along with faculty, students, patients, and local residents.
Featuring lion dance and martial arts performances, the event highlighted the cultural synergy between Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and traditional martial arts. Prof. Wu noted that the expanded facility will enhance community health services, upgrade clinical learning, and cultivate top-tier practitioners to advance TCM education internationally.
Founded in 1998 with its main campus in Markham, OCTCM is the only TCM institution in Canada operating two branch campuses. Marking the 10th anniversary of its Chinatown branch, the college expanded by adding a 7,000-square-foot academic site at 483 Queen Street West (Suite 300). Located just two blocks away, this new facility is dedicated entirely to classroom learning, allowing the original 4,000-square-foot location at 283 Spadina Avenue to be converted into dedicated student and integrative medicine clinical training facilities.
Over its 28-year history, OCTCM has developed comprehensive bilingual (English and Chinese) diploma programs spanning 3-year Acupuncture, 4-year TCM Practitioner, and 5-year Advanced TCM Practitioner curriculums. Local students qualify for OSAP funding, while international students are supported through IRCC designation. Graduates qualify to write the national Pan-Canadian Registration Examinations for licensure to practice independently across Canada.
In addition to signature courses in head massage, advanced needling, and medical qigong, the college features 3D anatomy and digital TCM diagnostic labs. In 2023, an expert committee led by Academician Boli Zhang on behalf of the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies (WFCMS) conducted an evaluation of OCTCM, making it the first overseas TCM college in the world to receive official third-party accreditation.
Today, OCTCM holds key international and national leadership roles as a vice-chairman unit of the World Federation of Acupuncture-Moxibustion Societies (WFAS), the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies (WFCMS), the Federation of Traditional Chinese Medicine Colleges of Canada (FTCMCC), and the Council of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture Schools of Ontario (CTCMASO). OCTCM continues to lead the advancement of Chinese medicine education across North America.
