I had the honour of beginning my rotation in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. During the first two weeks, I followed a group of Japanese fourth-year students who were also doing their rotations in the department. The Japanese students spent two weeks at the department and one week at a local hospital, so I rotated alone during the final two weeks. It was incredibly helpful to start my rotation with the Japanese group, as they were all very kind and helpful. During my stay in Japan, we became very good friends. I consider myself fortunate, as I met most of my friends through them, and we spent a lot of time together both at the university and outside. Thus, I am incredibly grateful to the department for pairing exchange students with Japanese students, as it made the experience of studying in Japan much more enriching.
I thoroughly enjoyed my rotation at this department, both because the doctors were dedicated to teaching and because the four-week program was well-planned. The first week consisted of lectures with the Japanese students and participation in the skills lab. Although the lectures were primarily in Japanese, some of the Japanese students translated for me when I struggled with my limited Japanese. I learned a lot from the lectures, and the professors ensured I was following along by asking if the translations were clear. The professors were incredibly kind and relaxed, genuinely wanting the students to learn. The lectures were also unique; for example, in one lecture, the professor referred to each of us as characters from his favourite show throughout the whole lecture. In addition, we spent time in the skills lab, practicing suturing and laparoscopic techniques in their simulations, as well as in 3D-VR. These sessions were probably my favourite part, as the professors made them fun and unique by turning them into competitions where the losing groups often had to buy ice cream for the winners. During the second week, I mostly participated in surgeries with the Japanese students. This continued into the third week, though without the Japanese students. In the last week, I mainly followed the doctors in the clinic.
I feel incredibly indebted to this department. The friends I made there stayed with me throughout my entire stay, and I don't think my experience in Japan would have been nearly as enjoyable without the department's efforts to group us exchange students with the Japanese students. I also always felt comfortable asking any questions I had. As the doctors at the department were so kind and relaxed, it was a great place to start with rotations, helping me get used to how everything at the university worked. Since they try their best to teach you the most whilst you are there, it is truly a department that I highly recommend rotating in.
My second rotation was at the Department of Pediatrics. I spent some time in the NICU, some in general pediatrics, and some with the hematology group. Although I was rotating on my own, I met several fifth-year Japanese medical students here and there that I became very good friends with.The NICU was the busiest department, starting at 8 am. The days were long, with meetings continuing until 8 pm. It wasn't until my last few days in the NICU that I learned I could have left at 5 pm if I wished. This was also the case for general pediatrics and the hematology group. However, I recommend attending these end-of-day meetings initially to participate in the reports.
and learn about the various cases in the department, though it's not necessary for your entire stay in the department.
In the NICU, you are usually assigned to a doctor for the day. Before lunch, you join morning rounds and examine the patients assigned to you. Afternoons vary depending on the day— sometimes I joined surgeries, and other times I participated in diagnostics and treatment. In general pediatrics and hematology, the doctors arranged private lectures for me, or I followed the doctors in the clinic. Every Thursday, regardless of the group I was with, all the doctors and students in the department met to discuss the most special cases of the week, presented by the fifth-year Japanese students.
In general, the doctors at the department tried their best for me to learn as much as possible from them, like letting me try out parts of the examinations, such as the Moro reflex during the newborn examination. If you have a special interest, like I did in epilepsy, the doctors even set up extra lectures. For example, I received a lecture on different seizure types and how they are recognised on EEG. This is rather telling of how much the doctors care about us students learning from them. There were also numerous times that the doctors let me borrow their books or printed out articles they wanted me to read so I could learn and discuss with them. I find this rather unique, which made the experience of rotating at the department much more enjoyable.
The third department I rotated in was nephrology. I was assigned to a doctor whom I accompanied across different sections of the nephrology department. I spent most of my time in the clinic, where I had the opportunity to participate in several kidney biopsies. Additionally, I attended private lectures and joined the dialysis sessions, as well as observed the change of peritoneal tubes. Thursdays were always dedicated to pathology. On these days, the nephrologists gathered to review the renal biopsies taken that week to determine the likely diagnoses for the patients. I did not meet any other medical students at this department, but the doctors were incredibly thoughtful in every single aspect. This was the first department where everything was either conducted in English or fully translated into English, which had not always been the case in my previous rotations where several details in Japanese were missing in the English translation. I really enjoyed my time in this department and highly recommend rotating here, as I felt this was where I learned the most academically.
My last department was urology. Most of the time was spent in the operating room, where I became friends with some of the Japanese fifth-year students. The doctors were very relaxed and didn’t mind how long I stayed each day, allowing me to come and go and join operations as I pleased during these two weeks. However, whenever I joined, they made sure to explain everything in English from start to finish, which was incredibly helpful. Therefore, I really enjoyed my rotation in the urology department, and I highly recommend them as well.
My schedule varied depending on the department, and I didn't really have a fixed timetable. The doctors more or less told me where and when to meet, I followed the Japanese students’ schedule, or I had to find someone and ask myself. Later, I discovered that in some departments, there was a time schedule that I just did not have access to, nor was aware of (this was for example the case for pediatrics). If you are unsure about your schedule, I, therefore, highly recommend asking if there exists a time schedule that you just haven’t received yet to the person who is responsible for you at the department.
A general issue was that I didn't receive my schedule for a new department until the weekend right before the rotation started. This happened whether I emailed to ask for the schedule or not, making it difficult to plan trips around Japan. There was also a misunderstanding about my schedule with the Pediatrics Department, which led to me booking a trip on a day I was supposed to be present. This was not taken very well by the department, and as the work culture is as it is in Japan, it became very important for me to make a good impression. This was a pressure that I continuously felt throughout my whole rotation in the department, but the international section did their best to smoothen out our misunderstanding. However, if I missed a day in another department, they were generally more lenient. It thus really depends on the department. If you plan to travel, makeabsolutely sure you have a confirmed off-day, as departments may not take it well, regardless of the reason. This is my number one piece of advice.
Nagoya as a city itself has many things to offer – both culturally with the castle, Atsuta-jingu, Tokugawa museum, Oasis 21, etc, to Sakae providing everything you might need with shopping or night-life. Nagoya's cuisine is arguably the best in Japan, with misokatsu and kishimen truly standing out. However, all food in Japan is top-tier, so trying everything is truly recommended. Nagoya is a large city, essentially comprising many smaller cities within it, offering plenty to explore. However, Nagoya is also incredibly conveniently located in Japan, as it is along the east- costal line between Osaka and Tokyo. This makes it easy to travel to the prefecture of Mie to check out Ise, to Gifu to join skiing, to travel to Nagano to visit the beautiful landscape up there, or to check out Kyoto, Osaka or Tokyo which speak for themselves. The Shinkansen also allows for travel to the northern parts of Japan, such as Sapporo. In general, it is incredibly easy travelling around Japan. Trains and tubes are straightforward as long as one has a travel card (like Suica), though buses can be more challenging due to the invisibility of bus stops and discrepancies with their placements on Google Maps. Nevertheless, everything is always on time, and using Nagoya as a base to explore the rest of Japan is incredibly convenient.
I lived in the Yamate International Residence. They offer assistance whenever you need it and provide comprehensive information about how everything works, from garbage disposal to dorm admission, and what to do in natural disasters (which are common in Japan). You have your own room and share a common area with other exchange students. I loved living there—it was convenient to get around, and I made great friends with my roommates. The only negative aspect is that it can get rather cold due to the building's structure. The rent is fixed at an incredibly low rate of around 26,000 yen, and the electricity bill for your room and the common area is split among the residents, which usually cost me around 3,000-4,000 yen. However, if you stay for less than a month, you don't have to pay for electricity. It is very easy and convenient living at the residency, so I do recommend it if you have the possibility to.
Lastly, it’s important to note that English is not widely spoken in Japan. Patients speak in Japanese, and the ability of doctors to communicate in English or provide translations varies greatly. However, my experience was that the doctors made a strong effort to convey the most important information to me as an exchange student. That said, I believe I wouldn’t have made as many friends or understood as much without knowing at least some Japanese. It is much easier to approach people and understand lectures mainly held in Japanese if you have a good grasp of the language. On the other hand, the university has had many students with limited Japanese knowledge who also had a good time, so this is very subjective. Nevertheless, I don’t think I would have made as many great friends or felt as integrated as I did without some basic understanding of the language. This was especially true as most of the friends I made outside the university did not know or could only communicate a little in English, and the same was true for my travel friends. Knowing the language, just anything, really helps making friends and feeling like a part of the community in Japan.
In general, my exchange at Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine was incredibly fruitful, and I was always warmly welcomed by both the doctors and students alike. There were also numerous times that the professors or doctors brought sweets, or took us out for lunch, which was incredibly kind of them. In my experience, the doctors really just seemed to want their students to learn as much as possible, and they genuinely cared. The international section was especially helpful as they worked really hard to make my experience there the best possible. I am very thankful for all their help, as I would have been a lot more lost without them due to the complexities of how the system works.
In conclusion, I felt like every department really prioritised me learning and understanding the medicine, and all the medical students that I met and befriended truly made my exchange into something special – an adventure one might say. This is also the case for all the people I met outside of the university; my roommates at the dormitory, my local bar that I befriended, the after-school clubs that I got to join, the other exchange students, and even down to the receptionist at my local gym. I am therefore truly thankful to everyone for my time in Japan. I could not recommend this exchange more.
Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine