My clinical exchange experience in Japan

Authors: Karim Moutchou

Institution: Medical Student, Fez Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy

Juntendo university hospital

From the 6th to 11th of August 2019, I participated in a surgical internship program at the department of urology at the Juntendo University in Tokyo. There, I had an opportunity to observe urological surgeries operated with the latest medical technologies in the world.

Juntendo hospital was founded in 1838 and was the first Japanese hospital in history to adopt modernized medicine. When I was walking around the hospital while being guided by residents of Juntendo hospital, it felt to me like I was in an institution from science fiction movies. This was my first time to see the latest and far advanced models of medical devices such as EKGs, ultrasonography, and MRIs.

Besides that, at the hospital, I was shocked to find out medical, and paramedical hospital employees worked more hours than in my hospital. They told me that their work starts typically no later than 8:00AM, and some doctors and nurses stay at the hospital more than 12hours per day. In contrast, the working hours of hospitals in Moroccan is much shorter, usually from 8:30AM to 3PM. The day started with the morning staff meeting. Residents and professor were discussing the planned surgeries in the details and the evaluation of patients at the department. I could not underst