My name is Morten Krebs and I’m a 26 year old medical student from University of Copenhagen.
During the summer semester 2015 I was lucky to do a 3 month clinical clerkship at Nagoya University Hospital, including a two-week stay at Department of Ophthalmology.
The doctors at the department were all friendly and welcoming and had made a schedule for me which included participation in the Japanese 5th-grade students classes in ophthalmology – which were held in english for my fault. This was a great opportunity for me to see how the Japanese educational system works, and how Japanese student face the same difficulties in learning clinical medicine as Danish. Lessons included an introduction to eyes anatomy, physiology and clinical features of decease, a case-based lesson where different clinical cases were discussed, simulation training on VRmagic simulator practicing cataract surgery and vitrectomy, practicing micro suture under operating microscope and practicing slit lamp microscopy and indirect funduscopy on fellow students. One day I had the pleasure of following a doctor specialized in Retinopathy of Prematurity on her round at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Apart from the lessons I spent time in the OR, where I got time to see several procedures including vitrectomy in retinal detachment and macular decease. In the out-patient clinic I was introduced to the high-tech clinical equipment including different LASERs, OCTs and ERG and many others.
The department did their evening conferences in english so that I could hear the status of every patient, and see how the follow-up and supervision of younger doctors took place.
Also my stay at Nagoya university hospital gave me a great opportunity to experience Japanese culture, the Japanese health-care system, a introduction to the Japanese working environment and a short introduction to Japanese language.
I hope that this will open up for future exchange of medical students between University of Copenhagen and Nagoya University.
Watching vitreous surgery on a 3D monitor wearing special glasses with yound Japanese doctors.
Having lunch with Japanese doctors
Practicing cataract and vitreous surgery with a surgical simulator.