Student Voices 2027 #010 Faculty of Nursing and Medical Care

I have always been interested in healthcare professions that involve direct interaction with people, and as I approached my university entrance exams, I began to consider nursing faculties. I chose the Faculty of Nursing and Medical Care at Keio University because I was attracted to the learning environment that only a comprehensive university can offer. I felt that I could broaden my horizons by encountering diverse values through interactions with students from various other faculties.

While you might have a strict image of nursing studies, the professors and senior students here are very kind and support the idea of "just giving it a try." This is another major attraction of the Faculty of Nursing and Medical Care at Keio University.

Among my courses, "Introduction to Nursing and Medical Social Entrepreneurship" is particularly interesting. We learn by hearing real-world stories from graduates who have started their own businesses, focusing on the perspective of "how to change society through our own efforts."

I am also actively participating in the "Community Diagnosis Practicum," where we conduct about a week of fieldwork in various parts of Japan. This is an optional practicum that transcends faculty boundaries; we identify local issues and strengths and present an action plan on the final day. It is very stimulating to learn about the thoughts of local residents and the ideas of my fellow participants, which are things you cannot understand just by staying inside the university.

One of the faculty's strengths is its extensive range of programs for developing a global perspective. There are many opportunities to study overseas healthcare in depth and interact with local people. I participated in overseas training in Thailand and Cambodia using support from a faculty-specific scholarship called the Yoshiko Aota Memorial Education and Research Grant (see p. 78).

Regarding activities outside of class, I am putting my efforts into a business contest hosted by the School of Medicine called the "Keio Healthcare Venture Contest." In the previous contest, I only made it to the second round of screening, but this time I proposed "Agricare"—mental healthcare through agriculture and food—and won the championship in the Student Idea Category. My passion and idea of "wanting to create a place where people can be accepted as they are" were also appreciated by the audience at the judging venue, and I was able to win the Audience Award at the same time.

I hope to start my own business someday in the future. Many students in the Faculty of Policy Management and the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies at the same SFC campus start businesses, and being around them gives me the strange feeling that entrepreneurship is not something extraordinary. I receive inspiration and energy every day on a campus where diverse and talented people gather.

Since participating in the Community Diagnosis Practicum or business contests is a matter of personal will, I hope you see it as "these kinds of things are also possible." What I want to convey most is that the strengths of a comprehensive university are greater than you might imagine. I recommend the Faculty of Nursing and Medical Care at Keio University not only to those who want to be nurses but to anyone with an interest in the academic field of "nursing."

This article was published in the "Guidebook 2027," a university guide for prospective students.

The latest guidebook is available as a PDF or digital pamphlet. Please check the "Guidebook" webpage.