International Medical Education Research Center
Overview
Nagasaki Medical Center has a long history of international medical cooperation and international scholarly exchange, with exchange programs in the past focusing largely on China. In the past few years we have become increasingly active, establishing interaction with medical facilities in China and Kazakhstan. Also, since we hosted a two day JICA training session on viral hepatitis, we have had a constant flow of international trainees. As a part of Nagasaki Prefecture’s Welcome Internationals Project, each year we have received one or two trainees from China, supervising them primarily through the Clinical Research Center. In 2003 we opened the Overseas Travel Outpatient Clinic, providing consultation and vaccinations for those planning overseas travel, something so unique that this year the Japan Economic Newspaper did an article on it.
In 2005 the International Medical Education Research Center (abbreviated below simply as the Center), was established for medical research, medical education, and medical cooperation on an international scale in cooperation with the countries of the world. Its aim is medical research, medical education, and international cooperative research in the medical field, through cooperating with medical research, education, and treatment facilities in the various countries of the world.
The Center has the following mission.
- Coordinating plans, gathering information, and disseminating information about medical research, medical education, international cooperative research, and work related to these.
- Receiving funds.
Operation of the Center will be done by the Operations Committee, which will be made up of the following members:
The Center Director (Clinical Research Center Director), a Clinical Research Center representative, the Head of the Clinical Research Center Medical Strategy Research International Medical Cooperation Office, a Clinical Education Center representative, a Research Testing Section representative, a representative of the secretarial staff of the hospital, a Nursing Section representative, a Business Office representative, and others the Hospital Director might deem necessary. The Hospital Director will also attend meetings as a member.
- Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University, China (October 12, 2004 ～)
- 2. Bei Hua University (November 6, 2006 ～)
- Scientific Research Institute of Cardiology and Internal Diseases (SRICID) of Kazakhstan (April 27, 2007 ～)
Activities
From 1990, Nagasaki Medical Center participated in the Kenya Infectious Disease Research Project, being primarily responsible for the area of viral hepatitis. In order to wrap up the project, which had continued for 27 years, Dr. Koji Yano, the Head of the International Cooperation section, was sent to Kenya from May, 2005, through April, 2006, as Chief Advisor. In the Viral Hepatitis area, which continued all the way to the end, hepatitis specialists from this hospital were sent on a rotating schedule to do research related to hepatitis in cellular fluids, developing and promoting the Hepatitis B Surface Resistance Test (HEPCELL). Prevention and treatment of hepatitis B using this test is continuing to the present time. The summary of the project has been published as a booklet, “Footprints of the Kenya Infectious Disease Project.
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A Scholarship Exchange Meeting with Drum Tower Hospital of the Medical Department of Nanjing University, China
Since signing the scholarship exchange agreement, both hospitals have been aggressively pursuing scholarly exchange through such things as young doctors and nurses visiting back and forth. For six months from April, 2005, a gastrointestinal surgeon from Tower Drum Hospital conducted research at our hospital, and after that, a medical technologist, a gastroenterologist, and three nurses spent three months doing research in the Clinical Research Center and the inpatient wards of our hospital. From July, 2007, a medical technologist spent a year here doing research. From our side, in October, 2005, the head of our Orthopedic Surgery Department and another doctor visited Tower Drum Hospital, and in November our Research Department Chairman, Dr. Fujioka, was invited to give a special lecture at a Surgical Conference held in Nanjing, chaired by Tower Drum Hospital Director Dr. Ding. In March, our Nursing Department sent a group of nine for a visit. The 1st Nursing Scholarship Exchange Meeting was held, and nurses from both hospitals formed strong friendships. Also, that same month, a surgeon and another doctor were invited to Tower Drum Hospital to give lectures. Our exchange program continues to be very active.
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Signing the Scholarship Friendship Agreement with the President of Bei Hua
Scholarship Exchange with Bei Hua University started with an agreement signed in November, 2006 at Bei Hua University by our Director, Dr. Yonekura, and President Liu Hezong of Bei Hua University. Bei Hua University is located in Jilin City in the northeastern part of China, and is a new school formed by the merger of four existing colleges.
In 2007, the Cardiology Department Head conducted research at our hospital from September to the end of November, and the Thoracic Surgery Department Head (and Hospital Assistant Director) conducted research from October to November, and in October of this year the Dean of the University visited our hospital. From this point, we plan for graduate students to stay for longer periods, conducting research in the Clinical Research Center and attending the Nagasaki University Graduate Lectures in liver disease.
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Signing the agreement for Scholarly Friendship at the Research Institute of Cardiology and Internal Diseases of Kazakhstan
In April, 2007, three doctors, including our Director, visited the Scientific Research Institute of Cardiology and Internal Diseases of Kazakhstan (abbreviated as the Kazak Cardiology Center) to start a program of scholarship exchange. Potential trainees were interviewed, and such things as methods of exchange and our respective positions were confirmed. In addition, we received assurance of financial support from the Health Ministry for sending doctors to Omura for training and paid official visits to the Japanese embassy and consulate to obtain their support for this program of medical cooperation.
After the conclusion of the Scholarship Exchange with Kazakhstan, two patients with coronary ischemia who desired the high level of medical care in Japan were admitted to our hospital and received a therapy by interventional radiology. Language differences were a major barrier, but with the help of an exchange student who was studying at Nagasaki University, with the cooperation of the nurses and all the medical staff, reconstructive surgery of the coronary arteries was successful, and they returned home very thankful. It was very meaningful, not just in terms of cooperation between the medical facilities involved but also in terms of the possibility of further medical cooperation between the Republic of Kazakhstan and Japan.
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Research Testing Section Chief Itoh guiding research.
In October, 2007, two doctors came to our hospital from the Kazak Cardiology Center as trainees. Under the guidance of the Clinical Research Center’s Research Section Chief Migita and Research Testing Section Chief Itoh, they engaged in research in clinical immunology and immune diseases.
Aiming for improvement in medical quality and scholarship in the international arena, our hospital established and signed a scholarship exchange agreement with Drum Tower Hospital of the Medical Department of Nanjing University, China. In October, 2004, a representative delegation of seven members, headed by Hospital Director Dr. Masahiro Yonekura, visited Drum Tower Hospital in the city of Nanjing, and the 1st Nanjing-Nagasaki Scholarship Exchange Meeting was held. In May, 2005, a delegation headed by Tower Drum Hospital Director Dr. Ding was invited to Nagasaki and the 2nd Nanjing-Nagasaki Scholarship Exchange Meeting was held.
In November, 2006 the 3rd Nanjing-Nagasaki Scholarship Exchange Meeting was held at Tower Drum Hospital, and in May, 2007, the 4th meeting was held at our hospital.