For the most part TCM is useless, highly ineffective, unhelpful and there is a certain point where a majority of it can be called 'Fake' in the sense it may not be harmful, it may have some insignificant periphary 'benefit' but is effectively meaningless in any direct relation to the ailments, it might have some psychological effects but is ultimately no more helpful than would be eating a granola bar or your typical breakfast, lunch or dinner. Except far less nutritious.

The only Westerners self-training to become 'Doctors' are those who want a title (out of some desperate social desire) but don't want to be actual doctors. I mean they don't want to do the real work. Or they can't. They simply couldn't get into Med School, never mind actually complete medical school!

Pretty much anyone can become a 'Doctor' of TCM and then decide to 'train people' and even given those people 'doctorates' and dub them 'Doctors'.

One of the problems is that a handful of things in TCM can be 'somewhat effective' and those can be used as examples to convince buyers that the other 99% isn't fake.

A fake Rolex may indeed have a real leather wrist band too. It doesn't mean its a real watch. I mean its not a great comparison because a fake rolex can actually work to tell the proper time (most times, close enough). Whereas TCM doesn't do anything 99% of the time and often causes more harm than good anyways.