Brief Biography of
Dr. Nyima Youdon Namseling

Dr. Nyima Youdon Namseling was born in 1966 in Lhasa,  capital of Tibet.  Her parents are Mr. Sonam Dorjee and Mrs. Penpa. She attended both primary and middle schools in Lhasa, and received an education that placed particular emphasis on Tibetan and Chinese language. She finished her middle school in beginning of 1983 and soon after that left for India with her mother Mrs. Pempa on a pilgrimage. Her pilgrimage trip ended in Dharamsala, the seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile, where she was fortunate enough to have an audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Since she had an insatiable desire to study Tibetan medicine, she made every effort to gain admission into the Tibetan Medical & Astrology Institute (Men-Tsee-Khang)in Dharamsala. On March 31,1983, she was admitted into the Tibetan Medical & Astrological Institute and for five years she studied under professors such as: Dr. Pasang Yonten Arya, Dr. Lobsang Choephel, Dr. Lobsang Tashi, Dagthon Jampa Gyaltsen, chief instructor in Tibetan astronomy and astrology; and Mr. Barshe Phuntsok Wangyal. Besides studying Tibetan medicine, Dr. Namseling also studied Tibetan grammar and poetry. In 1988 Dr. Namseling completed her medical studies with flying colors, obtaining Menpa-Kachu-pa Degree in first division.

After her graduation from the Tibetan Medical & Astrology Institute, she spent one year studying English in New Delhi, India.  In 1990 she served as the resident doctor at the Dekyiling Tibetan settlement near Mussoorrie, India; after that served as a resident doctor at the Tibetan Medical Institute branch clinic in New Delhi for two years, under the guidance of Dr. Kunga Gyurmy Nyarongsha, junior physician to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. In 1992 she worked at the Tibetan Medical Institute’s clinic, in Dharamsala, under the guidance of Dr. Tenzin Choedak and Dr. Lobsang Wangyal, personal physicians to His Holiness the Dalai Lama;  after that she worked as the chief medical officer at Ponta, a Tibetan refugee settlement;  during this time she traveled to five Tibetan refugee settlements and also went to the Indian city, Yanmunanagar,  once in month not only to treat patients, but also to give lectures on health and hygiene and AIDS.

Dr. Namseling has also traveled in major Indian cities, paricipating in medical conferences, seminars and exhibitions. She has given a series of lectures on Tibetan medicine.  In February 1994 at the Bhubinishwar branch clinic, Dr. Namseling worked as the chief medical officer for four months. From there, in June 1994, she was transferred to the Tibetan Medical & Astrologcial Institute in Dharamsala and worked in its clinic, under the guidance of Dr. Lobsang Wangyal, personal physician to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. During that time she visited once a week to Delek Hospital and treated patients along with Western doctors. During that time she also received technical laboratory training for four months.

In March 1995 Dr. Namseling was appointed as one of the lecturers at the Men-Tsee-Khang (Tibetan Medical & Astrological Institute) in Dharamsala.   It was the first time in Tibetan medical history that such a title had been conferred on a woman doctor.  Dr. Namseling taught Tibetan medicine not only to Tibetan students, but also to westerners who are interested in learning Tibetan Medicine.

In March 1998 Dr. Namseling joined her husband in the United States.