On 12 November 2025, a one-day professional development workshop for Tibetan doctors was successfully conducted by His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s personal physician, CMO. Dr. Tsewang Damdin, along with senior physician Dr. Lobsang Dhondup. The workshop focused on deepening the participants’ understanding of the interrelationship between theoretical studies and their application in clinical practice. The session starts with welcoming remarks from the Men-Tsee-Khang Cultural Director, PHD. Dr. Tsering Norbu highlighting the importance of bridging the gap between theoretical learning and clinical practice within Sowa-Rigpa. The workshop aimed to enhance diagnostic skills, strengthen clinical reasoning, and promote a holistic integration of classical medical texts with contemporary therapeutic approaches.

CMO. Dr. Tsewang Damdin provided an insightful presentation on the foundational principles of Sowa Rigpa, emphasizing how theoretical knowledge from the Gyud Zhi and other classical sources must be continuously referenced in daily clinical judgment. He elaborated on diagnostic methodologies, including pulse reading, urine analysis, and symptom-based assessment, and demonstrated how these traditional tools remain essential and effective when grounded firmly in textual understanding. Following this, Dr. Lobsang Dhondup led a detailed session on clinical application and therapeutic decision-making. He encouraged practitioners to maintain consistency between what is studied academically and what is prescribed or practiced in clinical settings, underscoring that a physician’s skill depends on harmonizing knowledge and experience.

Participants engaged in discussions, raised practical questions, and exchanged clinical insights, making the workshop highly interactive and enriching. Both physicians stressed the responsibility of Tibetan doctors to uphold the authenticity of Sowa-Rigpa while adapting responsibly to the evolving needs of patients in the modern world. In their conclusion highlighted that Sowa-Rigpa is not only a medical science but a living wisdom, and its effectiveness relies on the continuous interplay between Traditional studies and compassionate clinical practice. The event concluded with words of appreciation from the Men-Tsee-Khang College Principal Associate Professor Dr. Ngawang Soepa Bhutia, acknowledging the invaluable guidance provided by CMO. Dr. Tsewang Damdin and Dr. Lobsang Dhondup and expressing hope for more such capacity-building programs in the future.