Clinical Exchange in Japan

As a part of my last semester during my medical studies at Lund University, I had the opportunity to choose one optional course. In September 2023, I received the enormous possibility to spend one month in Nagoya to do a clinical clerkship at Nagoya University hospital. In retrospect, I am very glad that I accepted.

Having experienced next to no plastic surgery in Sweden, I was thrilled to do my clinical clerkship at the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive surgery. In the future, I aspire to work as a surgeon and my clinical clerkship greatly enhanced this dream. The doctors at the department were kind and thoughtful, always making sure my time was used for something valuable. I took part of many surgeries and got to see very advanced procedures that will certainly have an impact on my future work as a doctor. Despite working long hours, I also got the chance to spend time with the doctors during evenings, trying local Nagoyan food and sharing information about our home countries, respective cultures and health care systems.

The biggest surprise during my clinical clerkship was how patient panorama and medical conditions differed between Sweden and Japan. I saw many diseases that I will probably never encounter in my home country; specific skin tumours, eye diseases and genetic conditions to mention a few. Apart from that, I also got the chance to watch many surgical techniques that were new to me, and that I will bear in mind in my future work.

One of the things I enjoyed most during my stay in Nagoya was getting to know and interacting with Japanese medical students. I learned that medical studies are very similar in Sweden and Japan, although the Swedish education is more focused on discussion while the Japanese counterpart is more lecture-based. Meeting other students in the operating room assured me that we all go through similar experiences and have the same want for knowledge despite schooling ourselves on either side of the planet.

Outside of the hospital, I got to enjoy all that Nagoya have to offer, traveling both within and outside of the city. Together with my fellow friend from Lund I experienced cultural sites, the city center, parks and, of course, all of the delicious food. This will all be memories for life.

Lastly, I would like to thank the international office at Nagoya University Hospital for your work and commitment in welcoming me as a foreign student. I could not have wished for a warmer welcome.