Tomino Yasuhiko, Dean

In recent times, the natural sciences have been progressing remarkably and the scope of research has been widening. The field of medicine is no exception. It is no longer possible to master all the necessary knowledge and skills during the limited course of studies in medical school. However, it is necessary for students to acquire the attitudes, knowledge, and techniques that will enable you to become medical doctors and researchers in the future. Moreover, what is required of doctors today is an ongoing spirit of caring for patients and an active attitude of lifetime study of the latest knowledge and techniques. To accomplish this, it is important for all students to obtain a solid base in the fundamental knowledge and skills, and then to fully understand and apply these abilities. In a medical school that aims at meeting the future needs of doctors, what is most essential is to provide an education which develops students’ ability to study and solve problems independently, rather than to merely acquire knowledge passively. I hope that all students will develop the practice of independent study and learning. To enable this, I believe that the ideal class is not based on a one-way relationship where students merely listen to lectures from teachers, but on an active, two-way exchange of questions and answers among students and teachers.

Juntendo University, known as the “University for Human Health,” is the only university in Japan which consists of the following three schools: the School of Medicine, the School of Health and Sports Science, and the School of Health Care and Nursing. Our mission is to encourage the talent that can contribute to the maintenance, promotion and restoration of human health. In accordance with this mission, to become a good doctor who takes care of others, medical students are requested to attain the following aims at the time of graduation:

1. Acquire the fundamental knowledge and skills needed for the future, no matter what area of health care one selects.
2. Learn the fundamental attitudes and customs of the doctor's profession such as solving the problems of working together with members of a medical management team.
3. Grasp problems with accuracy and acquire problem-solving abilities, not only by relying on the methods of the natural sciences, but also by using the viewpoints of the human and social sciences.
4. Evaluate one's own knowledge, skills and attitudes, and improve these by self-motivated learning throughout one's life.

1. The aim of education is not only to pass on knowledge and skills to the next generation, but also to serve as a place for the development of humanity as a doctor, through encouraging direct communication between the students and the faculty, whether this takes place at the bedside, in the laboratory, or the classroom.
2. Instructors must meet the responsibilities for teaching, while students must meet those for coursework. If they do not meet these responsibilities, it denies the fundamental principles of the learning environment. In particular, students who do not study sufficiently may cause harm to the patients.
3. In teaching students, it is essential that teachers be self-motivated in improving research and clinical abilities.
4. In all courses, it is essential to find ways to help change students' attitudes from being passive to becoming active.
5. Improving the students' motivation and maintaining the educational system contributes not only to our own university's education but also to the advancement of the level of research and clinical practice.
6. Teachers should take attendance and give the students comprehension quizzes on the present or previous day's class material. Moreover, they should ask them about their opinions of the class. Use the sheets for quizzes, attendance and evaluation prepared by the Department of Educational Affairs. Teachers should value the importance of the student-administered teacher evaluations.
7. In both the medical school education and clinical practice, it is important for not only the faculty, such as professors, associate professors and instructors, but also for all people connected with the university to participate in teaching the students directly. At our various medical facilities, it is important to observe the principles of interlocking responsibilities and of each person helping each other.