Clinical Exchange in Japan

I had the honour of rotating through the various medical Paediatric departments of Nagoya University Hospital over a 4-week period, and now at the end of my journey I can safely say that it has an unforgettable experience! I am very grateful to have been given this opportunity to interact with the doctors, staff & patients. Throughout the whole rotation, I was well supported by the Department of International Affairs, who ensured a smooth transition to daily life in the hospital.

I spent 1 week in the department of Neurology & General Paediatric, 2 weeks in Haematology & Oncology and my final week in the NICU. This gave me a broad exposure to the different facets of Paediatric medicine at Nagoya University Hospital. Each department welcomed me with open arms & did an amazing job making me feel part of the team. Throughout the rotation, they always made sure that I was able to understand the clinical course & treatment plans for the patients. Most of the doctors spoke English well & were always enthusiastic in translating information into English for me on ward rounds, meetings & conferences. Although knowing Japanese is not a requirement, I found knowing basic hiragana & katakana characters very useful to understand patient names as well as drug names.

I appreciate that the doctors took time out of their schedule to give me lectures as well as educate me about the revolutionary research occurring at Nagoya University Hospital. I was able to learn more about various subjects such as West`s syndrome, EEG interpretation, spinal muscular atrophy, screening of cardiac conditions in the Paediatric population, management of aplastic anaemia & neuroblastomas, juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia as well as acute management in the neonatal period among other topics. They also discussed cutting edge research & treatment options such as CAR T-cell therapy for leukemia & cold blood transplantation for neuroblastomas. These new therapies have provided incredible results for patients & their families in Japan and I found the dedication of all the doctors incredible. I was able to witness a variety of diagnostic & therapeutic procedures such as EEGs, a paediatric pericardiocentesis, several bone marrow aspirations, bone marrow smear interpretations, blood & bone marrow transfusions, ultrasonography interpretation & an ambulance transfer of a neonate from a clinic to the hospital among many other practical experiences.

Outside of their medical duties, the doctors were incredibly kind & caring, often inviting me to lunch with them and discussing their life outside of medicine with me. It was very interesting to learn about the Japanese healthcare system & the lifestyle of doctors here compared to Australia. They encouraged me to explore Nagoya during my free time & ensured that I had adequate clinical exposure as well as free time to fully enjoy my experience. They involved me in the annual Tanabata festival held for the patients on the ward, which I found incredibly rewarding.

Furthermore, I was able to develop new friendships with both international medical students from around the globe as well as local Japanese medical students, who helped me see the different areas of Nagoya & made my experience here a truly memorable one. In my free time I was able to enjoy exploring the surrounding areas during the weekend, such as Takayama, Shirakawa-go area, Mt Yoro & the Ise Shima peninsula. During the evening I also visited different parts of Nagoya such as Sakae, Osu Kannon temple, Atsuta shrine, Nagoya Dome, Nagoya Castle & various restaurants to try the delicious food here!

I would like to extend a final acknowledgement to everybody I have met along this experience. It is the people who have made this one of the best clinical rotations during my time at medical school. Everyone I met were helpful, kind & enthusiastic. I would encourage everybody reading this to consider a placement at Nagoya University Hospital, as it is an exceptionally unique experience that will stay with you for the rest of your life.

Please find attached pictures with various doctors of the Paediatric team.