Rural Medical Education Design in Minami-Hiyama / 医学教育

ABSTRACT

We are engaged in community medical education using Minami-Hiyama (14,000km<SUP>2</SUP>, population 23,000, aging rate 41.6%) in southern Hokkaido as a resource. The “rural(region)” concept has become more diverse in recent years, and a highly designed physician training program for rural doctors has become necessary. Therefore, we are attempting to design a rural medical education program based on the concept of “difference.” These “differences” can occur not only between urban and rural areas but also between different cultures. We hope that by connecting Minami-Hiyama and Sapporo with a telemedicine/education system, “differences” will be created and students who experience these differences will have a deeper understanding of rural medicine.