Virtual Hospital Tour and Observership for First and Second-year Medical Students / 医学教育

Students in all years, including those in lower years, were prohibited from coming to campus because of COVID-19, which began to spread in January 2020. However, we believed that a hospital tour and observership would be important practical training for first and second year medical students as part of the early exposure program, which aims to increase student motivation. Thus, we decided to conduct a virtual hospital tour and a virtual observation of medical doctors’ work. We used Zoom to conduct a virtual hospital tour for first-year students in June, and a virtual observation of physicians’ work for second-year students in December. Although this offered less of an opportunity to experience the reality of the clinic, there have been benefits in terms of increased learning content, fairness of learning opportunities delivered, and the promotion of independent learning. With regard to a “Hospital Tour” and the “Observation of Medical Doctors’ Work” , we believe that hybrid forms, which are able to skillfully combine the strengths of the two methods, would be effective.

Applying and Evaluation a New Course in the Igakugairon for 1st-Year Students to Develop an Active Learning Attitude / 医学教育

A course in the Igakugairon for 1st-year students to develop an active learning attitude has been conducted since 1992 at the Shiga University of Medical Science. On the basis of observations of educational results during this period, the course's length, contents, and scheduling were improved. It has become a full-year course for 1st-year students. Lecture classes were decreased and classes in which students participate in discussions and role playing were increased. In particular, classes focusing on an “early exposure” program at medical and welfare facilities have provided an important opportunity for changes in learning attitudes among students. Although class attendance is not mandatory, it is more than 80% in every class, and students actively take part in discussions. From the attitudes of the students in the class and their evaluations of the course, we have concluded that this course is effective in developing an active learning attitude among students.