Clinical Exchange in Japan

I was always curious about the medical system in Japan as well as the culture and daily lives of the Japanese people. For that, I am very grateful to both the University of Adelaide and Nagoya for providing me this joint program to have allowed me to experience this.

I had first heard about the program from previous graduates from the University of Adelaide who had strongly recommended me to apply for the elective. They had praised the healthcare system and teaching of the hospital which surprisingly were able to accommodate them despite the language barrier. This encouraged me to apply for the program which was relatively simple and straight forward.

Despite the staff speaking English, I would highly recommend students to learn some basic Hiragana and Katakana before going embarking on this elective as many of the drug names are written in Katakana. This would help one to sieve out key words to better understand the ward rounds and some clinical notes The joint program was well-organised with doctors being well informed about our arrival as well as the accommodation being prepared for us by Nagoya University. The price of our accommodation was also within the budget of a student and was relatively close to the train station making commuting to the Nagoya University Hospital convenient. The facilities of the hostel were also adequate for students looking to temporarily live in a hostel which allowed us to easily develop a daily routine.

I was attached to the Neurology and Respiratory Department during my one month stay. Both departments had a well-planned schedule which ensured that while we would be busy, adequate time was given to explore the area during the weekends.

The Japanese doctors played their role as a host very well and took pride in their hospitality. While most doctors were unable to speak English, many senior clinicians and students made the effort to communicate in English. I was impressed by the doctors who had designated their time to give me personal lectures in fluent English which demonstrates their capability to adapt to difficult situation.

The patients admitted to Nagoya University Hospital had diseases with a strong focus on research. This included incurable diseases such as neurodegenerative conditions and various forms of cancer. At the neurology department, many patients were admitted with Amylotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Parkinson’s Disease and other forms of motor neuron disease. The most unusual case which I had done a write up on had a suspected rare genetic disease Adrenoleukodystrophy. This was a challenging case as the clinical picture did not fit the results of various investigations performed.

At the respiratory department, I had a great deal of exposure to patients with lung cancer and interstitial lung disease. Prior to this, I had little knowledge on both diseases and was surprised to find out that the management of such diseases required a great deal of discussion. This was similar to Adelaide where complicated cases were discussed in a multi-disciplinary meeting.

This trip has definitely provided me with a unique experience which I will not forget. I would strongly recommend students to do an elective in the University of Nagoya due to exposure to a unique culture and workforce. I would like to thank the various doctors, staff members and students for giving me a memorable trip.