Clinical Exchange in Japan

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Experience Report

Gary Wu from Tulane University School of Medicine, USA
Period:2015/3/30 – 4/27
Department: Anesthesiology and Orthopedics

I would like to start by thanking Nagoya University for the opportunity to study medicine at Nagoya University Hospital. I could think of no better way to finish off my medical school education than with the experience I had in Japan.

Spending time in the Japanese medical system led to a few observations contrasting American and Japanese healthcare. The atmosphere among the medical professionals there is one that the States would be smart to emulate. There is a great amount of mutual respect and understanding that is unfortunately frequently absent in American medicine. It was very humbling to see attending physicians take the time to teach the students or take them out to lunch.

Another aspect I appreciated was the idea that medical students are generally able to pursue the specialty they desire rather than compete for spots. This was particularly relevant to me at the time because we had just gone through the Match process by the time we began our rotation at Nagoya University. This allows Japanese medical students to choose the specialty they really love rather than worry about competitiveness, prestige, or any other trivial factors.

The only real criticism I could level would be that I wish the medical students would be able to get more involved in the operations. Often, they would be in the operating room with nothing to do or see (if the camera was blocked). Rotating a single student to scrub in on each procedure may help alleviate some of this idle time.

More than anything, I just loved being in Japan. I would frequently say out loud to my friends, “I love this country!” There were so many things I loved about Japan: Lawson’s and 7-11, the yellow paths to help blind people, cherry blossoms, the food, escalators that pause when no one is on them, onsens. I loved how people treat all of their jobs as a craft and take pride in what they do. It is no wonder that Japanese products have gained a reputation of quality worldwide. I loved how gracious the people we encountered were. The very first day we arrived in Japan, we made friends just by asking for help with directions.

When I came to Japan for the first time nearly twenty years ago, the impression that it left on me was lasting. As the time to leave the States for Japan drew closer, I wondered if those impressions I had were coated with a sense of nostalgia. Not long after I arrived, it became apparent that Japan really was as wonderful as I had remembered it to be. It was hard to get back on the plane to leave Japan. I look forward to coming back.

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