Participatory Clinical Training

In order to train medical professionals who will be competent enough to meet society’s healthcare needs after mastering basic clinical skills and completing postgraduate training, Okayama University Medical School conducts clinical clerkship (participatory clinical training), in which we offer simulation-based medical education that allows students to safely conduct practical training in line with the scope of medical practice clarified in the syllabus. Our clinical clerkships ensure that Student Doctors (SDs) receive sufficient practical training (basic clinical training for 54 weeks and elective clinical practice for 18 weeks) on how to administer medical care as members of a team. Since 2014, our practical training has included a special program, the first of its kind in Japan, that allows SDs to gain practical experience in administering vaccines, thereby learning medical safety management.  

^＊In the past, medical education and training in Japan has been criticized for developing separately from global standards according to a phenomenon referred to as “Galápagos syndrome”. More recently, the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) has attempted to reform medical education by emphasizing basic skills and clinical training. As such, revisions to the curriculum at Okayama University have been based on the “De-Galapagos! Medical Education Renovation” initiative adopted by MEXT in 2012.