Dr. Phuntsok was born in Tibet where he began classical Tibetan medical studies at Derge Tibetan Medical School in 1976. He subsequently joined the Tibetan community in exile in India and continued his training at the renowned Tibetan Medical and Astrological Institute (also known as Men-Tsee-Khang) in Dharamsala, India from 1981 to 1987. During the time, he studied under Dr. Lobsong Choepel, a senior teacher in Tibet and Dr. Tenzin Choedrak, one of the most eminent masters of the Tibetan medical tradition and the senior personal physician to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Having served on the medical faculty of the Men-Tsee-Khang for over a decade, eventually as their Deputy Director of Pharmacy, Dr. Phuntsok is currently one of the most senior traditional Tibetan physicians in the West.
Since arriving in America over twenty years ago, Dr. Phuntsok was appointed a senior associate at the Institute of East West Medicine and became a member of the Meridian Medical Group where he bases his practice. He is also currently a member of the Board of Trustees of the International Tibetan Medical Association. . He is an expert in botanical pharmacology. Dr. Phuntsok has given many specialty talks and held workshops on Tibetan Medicine both in the US, Mexico and Europe. He frequently lectures at Tibet House in an effort to educate the public on the history, theory and practice of Traditional Tibetan Medicine. In 1998, and again in 2003, Dr. Phuntsok served as panelist and workshop presenter at the 1st and 2nd International Congresses of Tibetan Medicine. In 2006, Dr Phuntsok was a panelist at a pivotal conference on Aging that engaged scientists from around the world.
Dr. Phuntsok is dedicated to bringing Tibetan medicine to all those in need and has successfully treated many patients with illnesses thought to be refractory by Western physicians.
