Clinical Exchange in Japan

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Experience report

Name: Andrea Weng
School: Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
Study Period: 1/29/2018-2/16/2018
Departments: Pediatric Surgery

I had an amazing experience during my medical exchange at Nagoya University Hospital. I was part of the pediatric surgery department led by Professor Hiroo Uchida. I was welcome by the faculty was extreme kindness and hospitality. The professors and doctors took a lot of time out of their hectic schedules to teach me procedures, operations techniques, and the general medical system in Japan. I was very touched that they would present meetings in English for me to understand and would translate for me during ward rounds. I am American but am attending medical school in Taiwan, so it was amazing to have discussions about the medical systems between different countries.

In the pediatric surgery department, I was fortunate to see many operations that I would not have otherwise experienced. We started our days with NICU and GCU (growing care unit) rounds, then the pediatric surgery ward rounds, and then operations or other procedures such as contrast imaging. The professors were very willing to teach, and I definitely learned a lot. While my role was just an observer, I really felt like I was immersed in the procedures. I would really like to thank the department for allowing me to have this wonderful opportunity to be a part of this amazing group for just some short weeks.

The Japanese culture and society is very enticing. I have been to Japan many times and it never fails to amaze me. I find it very interesting how when you are walking down the street and you will not see a single piece of trash on the floor, furthermore, the recycling system is so complex that it actually encourages you to not produce so much waste. Public restrooms are almost as clean if not cleaner than my own bathroom, so I think this overall tidiness gives Japan a very good image and is definitely something they should pat themselves on the back for. And last but not least, Japanese people are very welcoming of foreigners. I was very touched by the peers and teachers I met when I was in Japan. We had good sight-seeing trips around the city and very insightful discussions and conversations. I think these are what makes Japan a very appealing place to visit and I would definitely recommend this program to future students.


Left: Pediatric Surgery Department
Right: Nagoya University Hospital in winter


Visiting Ise Shrine with fellow NUH medical students

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