The healthcare required by the community is not something special, but rather essential care needed by everyone. Possessing the ability to provide this type of care is a fundamental requirement for all healthcare professionals. In a word, community healthcare can be described as “healthcare that stands by your side.” It is a type of care that supports health issues across a wide range of settings, from home to workplace and the broader community. Understanding and implementing community healthcare that all patients require is a crucial skill for every healthcare provider.

Our goal is to cultivate professionals who can envision the post-discharge lives of individual patients within the community, support patients and their families, and provide community-based healthcare. To achieve this, Okayama University offers the “Community Healthcare Experience Training” program, which provides early exposure to community healthcare settings. First-year and third-year students participate in a one-week training at medical institutions within Okayama Prefecture and nearby regions. In the fifth and sixth years, students have the option to engage in a two-week elective clinical practice focusing on community healthcare.

The “Community Healthcare Experience Training” is not merely an opportunity to observe medical practice but also includes learning about collaboration with various professionals in the healthcare field, experiencing caregiving, interviewing local welfare workers, and understanding emergency care in the community. Students will also gain insights into the relationships between patients and their families. Through this program, students are expected to learn about primary care and integrated community care in local healthcare settings, leading to their growth as medical professionals with a broad perspective.

Main Training Sites

Takahashi-Niimi Region

Ohta Hospital, Takahashi City Kawakami Clinic, Takahashi Central Hospital, Tessei Town Clinic, Nariwa Hospital, Niimi Central Hospital, Hasegawa Memorial Hospital, Watanabe Hospital

Maniwa Region

Ochiai Hospital, Katsuyama Hospital, Kaneda Hospital, Kondo Hospital, Yubara Onsen Hospital

Tsuyama-Aida Region

Tajiri Hospital, Tsuyama Family Clinic, Nakashima Hospital, Nagi Family Clinic, Yunogo Family Clinic

Southeast Okayama Region

Okamura Isshindo Hospital, Okayama Kinen Hospital, Okayama Saidaiji Hospital, Okayama Hakuaikai Hospital, Kataoka Internal Medicine Clinic, Sato Clinic, Tamano City Hospital, Bizen Hospital, Momotaro House Call Clinic, Yasuda Internal Medicine Clinic, Yoshinaga Hospital

Southwest Okayama Region

Ibara City Hospital, Kasaoka City Hospital, Kasaoka Daiichi Hospital, Kurashiki Municipal Hospital, Kurashiki Daiichi Hospital, Konko Hospital, Tsubasa Clinic, Fujii Clinic, Mizushima Daiichi Hospital, Mizushima Central Hospital, Yakage Hospital, Yakushiji Jikei Hospital, Watanabe Gastroenterology Surgery Hospital

Hiroshima Prefecture

 Odagahara Clinic in Kita-Hiroshima Town, Shobara Red Cross Hospital, Jinseki Kogen Municipal Hospital, Teraoka Memorial Hospital, Fujii Hospital

Hyogo Prefecture

Ako City Hospital, Ako Central Hospital, Asago Medical Center, Awaji Medical Center, Irie Hospital, Tamba Medical Center, Toyooka Hospital, Nishiwaki Hospital

Tottori Prefecture

Tottori Municipal Hospital, Nichinan Hospital, Misasa Onsen Hospital