DescriptionThis dissertation employs the research methods of conversation analysis to examine a collection of 51 hours of naturally-occurring video recordings of patient-provider interactions in the context of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Drawing upon previous research on medical interaction and conversation analysis, this dissertation explores the interactional construction of TCM encounters by examining the following aspects of TCM consultations: the opening sequences of TCM encounters; bystander participation in TCM encounters and companion involvement in TCM encounters.First, I analyze the structure of opening sequences in TCM consultations. I show that opening sequences in the context of TCM visits are organized into a series of activities, including initiating the visit, securing patient identity, initiating pulse-taking and launching medical talk; Second, I examine the sui generis interactional phenomenon of bystander participation. I show that when the patient displays resistance towards the doctor’s medical opinion, a bystander may join the patient’s consultation spontaneously or upon the doctor’s invitation. To help address or offset patient resistance, the bystander may enact different roles, such as an illness-free contrastive case, a witness to the patient’s clinical manifestation and a testament to the effectiveness of the doctor’s treatment. Third, I explore the patient’s companion’s involvement in the patient’s visit. I show that patient’s companion’s category membership and category-bound rights and obligations become relevant during the process of companion participation. Overall, this dissertation has broader implications for our understanding of medical interaction, especially interaction in the context of TCM, patient participation, patient resistance, multi-party interaction and conversation analytic research. Future research could build on the findings presented in this dissertation in examining the interactional organization of TCM visits and work to provide practical implications for TCM doctors and patients.