Résumé
The quality of medical education should be improved so that a physician's entire personality is nurtured. To this end, applying teaching methods from overseas educational institutions at Japanese medical schools would be beneficial. A discussion class taught at the University of Iowa is designed to increase the efficiency and consistency of interactive education. Numerous techniques for teaching discussion introduced at the University of Iowa might help improve the problembased learning methods now commonly used at Japanese medical schools. Moreover, the University of Iowa's method for teaching communication skills, which emphasizes interaction between instructors and students, can provide a model for medical students to acquire essential skills. Therefore, examining the comprehensive teaching system at the University of Iowa will help medical schools fulfill their expected social mission.