Short-Term Overseas Study Program [Clinical]

Columbia University, Washington University in St. Louis, Northwestern University, University of Minnesota, Johns Hopkins University, University of Hawaii (USA); King's College London (UK); Karolinska Institute (Sweden); University of Cologne (Germany); University of Lille, Sorbonne University (France); Erasmus University (Netherlands); Innsbruck Medical University (Austria); University of Sydney (Australia); Peking University (China); National Taiwan University (Taiwan); National University of Singapore (Singapore); Mahidol University (Thailand); University of São Paulo (Brazil), etc.

Doing a clinical clerkship at a hospital outside of Japan has been my dream since entering the School of Medicine. I am deeply moved to have been able to do my clerkship at a hospital in the United States, which I had particularly admired, and at the same time, I feel a sense of loneliness as the month passed by in the blink of an eye. In the training for Child Abuse and Neglect, I was able to explore knowledge in a new field that I had not studied in School of Medicine classes until now, making it a very fulfilling clerkship.

Looking back on this one month of study abroad, it was a very fulfilling and intense time. In addition to being greatly inspired by doing clerkships locally with overseas medical students, engaging in overseas medical care allowed me to realize the differences from Japan, and it was a valuable opportunity to look at Japanese medical care from the outside once again. Even just living abroad for a month had its difficult parts due to an unfamiliar life with language and cultural differences, but I strongly feel that it was a period during which I was able to grow significantly in various aspects.

During my study abroad, I learned many things from meeting various people. By talking with local doctors, medical staff such as Nurse Practitioners, and students, I exchanged many opinions about the British healthcare system and its advantages and problems. I was often asked about the differences in medical care and systems compared to Japan, which also became an opportunity to re-examine medical care in Japan. While medical knowledge can be learned in Japan, the things gained through interaction with students and medical staff from all over the world were things that could only be obtained at the study abroad destination. I would strongly recommend those who are wondering whether to go on a study abroad to give it a try.

Through this four-week clerkship, I was able to learn broadly not only about knowledge of endocrine diseases but also about the attitude toward medical care, the nature of team medicine, and the reality of medical care within different cultures and systems. What was particularly impressive was that the attitude that "even as a student, one's opinion is sought as a healthcare professional" was deeply rooted. By placing myself in an environment where speaking up proactively and thinking and proposing for oneself is welcomed, I was able to gain many learnings that cannot be obtained passively.

I received so much inspiration during this month. Among them, the biggest change was my way of thinking about patients. In Japanese clinical clerkships, I tended to perceive them on a disease basis as "a patient with XX disease," but in Sydney, it started with getting to know the patient's name first, and I came to understand the disease and condition through daily rounds. Thanks to that, I feel I was able to see the patient as "a person" rather than "a person with an illness." In fact, there were many patients who spoke to a foreign student like me in a friendly manner, and I want to continue to cherish this feeling in the future.