2024 Student from TU Dresden:Clinical training at the Dept of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

Name: Nadja Jahn
Home Institution/ Country: TU Dresden/Germany
Year of university: 6th
Designated department at Shinshu University: Plastic and reconstructive surgery
Training Period: from November 18, 2024 - January 10, 2025
Training: Clinical training

1. What made you come train at Shinshu University School of Medicine and how did you find the School through your stay?
Japan has always been a fascinating country for me: technologically and scientifically extremely advanced, with a rich history and culture, beautiful nature and virtually all the climatic zones that exist from north to south. However, the most important reason for me in the context of my medical studies was that Japan has one of the most efficient healthcare systems: With relatively low healthcare expenditure, it has the highest life expectancy in the world. As a prospective doctor, I was therefore very interested in medical practice in Japan and I am very happy to have been given the opportunity to gain an insight as part of Shinshu University's exchange program with TU Dresden.
Regarding the school, I can report on the hospital where we worked. It is a very large clinic with a wide range of treatments - I actually didn't expect it to be so large! We regularly came into contact with Japanese medical students who come to Matsumoto from all over the country to study at Shinshu University. The medical faculty is of a high standard and students are taught a broad spectrum of medicine, which we as foreign students were also delighted to enjoy.

2. Please describe your training at host department/lab.
The training consisted of regular participation in early consultations, ward rounds, attending consultations in the outpatient clinic and - of course the main part in surgery - taking part in operations. I was able to see many interesting and complex cases and was also allowed to assist in some surgeries.

3. Please list what you have gained from your experiences through the training at Shinshu University and the stay in Matsumoto, Japan.
I am very grateful for the opportunity of this exchange program, because I was able to take so much from this time:
- Firstly, I got to know the Japanese healthcare system and the way medical care works here. It was so exciting to see which things are done in the same way as in Germany, for example in the operating room or in patient consultations, and which are approached differently. This exchange helps to discover both the strengths and weaknesses of your own system, to gather new ideas and perhaps implement them later back home.
- Another point is how people interact with each other. As far as I noticed during my training, the interaction was very polite and respectful, the tone of voice was always calm and mistakes were communicated in an appropriate manner. I think we can still learn a lot from that in Germany.
- I am also very happy to have lived in Matsumoto. The people in this city are so open-minded and helpful that I quickly felt at home. The Japanese Alps that surround Matsumoto are breathtaking and both Matsumoto itself as well as the whole of Nagano Prefecture have so much to offer in terms of culture and nature that you could do at the weekends!

4. How do you think you can apply those experiences to your future career?
I was able to gain an insight into how medical-technical problems are tackled here in Japan at a large university hospital. Many things are done more efficiently here than in my home country and I intend to take the impulse I have gained with me and hopefully put it into practice in the future. Apart from that, what I definitely want to take with me in my future career is the respectful treatment of both colleagues and patients. Experiencing the type of communication here on site was really inspiring for me.

5. Advice to those who are interested in studying at Shinshu University.
Don't worry too much in advance, just apply! I had an amazing time with great supervisors and very helpful and welcoming students here at Shinshu.
Knowing some Japanese phrases is very helpful so if you have the chance, take a Japanese course in advance.