Trialing a new clinical clerkship record in Japanese clinical training

Abstract

Shosaku Nomura, Noboru Tanigawa, Yo Kinoshita, Koichi TomodaFirst Department of Internal Medicine, Kansai Medical University, Shinmachi, Hirakata, Osaka, JapanUndergraduate medical education has several problems.1,2 In particular, clinical training, which is the unique feature of medical education, tends to be performed less extensively. In Japan, the current clinical training method is clinical clerkship (CC). CC differs from conventional clinical training, which is study by observation. In CC, the student is a member of the medical team and participates in actual medical care. The student is allowed to practice medical actions in the definite range under the guidance and monitoring of a teaching doctor. Therefore, students can acquire practical clinical abilities. In their study of medical care, students are required to have their own sense of identity and personal responsibility. Clinical training is performed by CC following the original curriculum for diagnoses and treatments in various medical departments.