Thomas Jefferson University Study Report

I could have gotten the wonderful experience in this summer. That is this exchange program. This was only five days, but maybe makes my life change.

At this program, I and my friends visited to Thomas Jefferson University (TJU) in Philadelphia. And we observed Emergency Medicine, Internal Medicine, Outpatient Pediatric and JeffHOPE. I could find the differences between Japanese treatments and American one, though these are not all. That is my purpose that I participated in this program.

When I observed Outpatient, I met many patients of various races. They have different physique, characteristic and language. Depends on races, doctors may change the cure. This situation is not yet a common in Japan. And doctors spent a longer time for each patient than in Japan. I was surprised at hearing that the medical bill is decided by the time of medical examination. And also there is not such Japanese health insurance system, so the medical bill which a patient have to pay is various by personal.

In the hospital, I could see the team medical care. Nurses or pharmacists talked a lot of their thought with doctors about how to cure. Medical students in the US learn about the team care much more than in Japan. That makes such a great team care, so I think that Japanese medical student also have to learn about this more while they are students.

And JeffHOPE was the most wonderful and exciting program for me. This is the volunteer activity for poor people who can’t receive medical treatment in the hospital. I have never participated in such a medical volunteer. There are a few doctors and the almost members are medical students at TJU. At first, a junior student takes the examination for patients and then a senior student helps that. Doctors do almost only check this. The students, as like me, could do very well, and also think about a medical cure. I feel that the practical medical education in the US is greater than Japan.

If I didn’t go to the US, I would not have felt and thought such a lot of things. I really appreciate a lot of supports and efforts of doctors and staffs of Osaka City University, Thomas Jefferson University.
Thank you.