The essay focuses on the contemporary practice of traditional Tibetan medicine and biomedical care in the exile communities of Himachal Pradesh, India. Drawing on fieldwork conducted in the area, as well as on related Tibetan literature, an analysis of the interpretation of scientific work and concepts in the Buddhist Tibetan exile community is made. Placing specific emphasis on the problem of the translation of scientific concepts in medical practice, the author looks at ways in which exile Tibetans have translated and incorporated Western scientific concepts into their practice of medicine, and how they are generally used in everyday life. The author also looks at competing scientific translations between the Chinese Tibetan Autonomous Region and the exile communities of India, showing how the evolution of medical practice in both contexts is informed by the political situation. The author argues that Tibetan translations and re-interpretations of Western scientific concepts, under the guise of following set conventions, actually depart in culturally significant ways from their intended signifiers, notably in recasting them within a Buddhist framework.