HMEP

Since 2017, Okayama University Medical School, Faculty of Medicine has participated in the Hawaii Medical Education Program (HMEP) sponsored by JrSr Corporation (founded by Dr Junji Machi, who is affiliated with the Office of Global Health and International Medicine at the University of Hawaii School of Medicine).

Overview of HMEP in Japanese: http://jrsr.or.jp/program

【Goals of the program】

1. To standardize medical education in Japan and to train doctors who can play active international roles.
2. To become a role model for American medical education in Japan and to overcome university barriers, spreading American medical education throughout the country.
3. To promote medical education exchange opportunities between America and Japan.
4. To publicize the high quality of medical education in Japan to an international audience.

【How the program works】

The program introduces American-style clinical clerkship (participatory clinical training), which is a feature of the curriculum at the University of Hawaii, while maintaining the standards set for each faculty’s curriculum, credit acquisition, graduation qualifications, and national examination qualifications. (Universities may issue formal training credits and this program has been approved by MEXT.)  

From their first year to the middle of their fourth year, medical students can attend weekly classes (called Open Cross Class) on Saturdays as part of their extracurricular activities. Up to ten students in their fourth to sixth year are selected to join the HMEP Clinical Clerkship as part of their participatory clinical training. During the clerkship, students administer medical treatment as Student Doctors and have the opportunity to interact with medical students from other universities.

【The program’s special features include:】

1. Giving students first priority and instructors second priority
2. Emphasizing the balance between science and art
3. Focusing on the six competencies required of doctors
4. Emphasizing open/cross-cultural/cross-institutional exchange and diversity in education without relying on political affairs or narrow ideas
5. Providing up-to-date medical education with the support of the University of Hawaii

【Vision】

Through increased interaction between Japan and other countries as a result of globalization, HMEP is gradually gaining popularity among Japanese medical schools. With an aim to improve the overall level of Japanese education through the international standardization of medical education, HMEP also seeks to increase the number of medical practitioners with international skills and perspectives. Not only does the program train students to become leading medical practitioners, but it also supports students who choose to work overseas.

Students who share HMEP’s vision and are currently registered in the program participate in the weekly Open Cross Classes (offered online during 2020 and 2021). In 2021, four medical students in their sixth year of study were selected to complete an American-style clinical clerkship at Shizuoka Medical Center.   

Number of Okayama University medical students registered in HMEP