INTERNATIONAL ELECTIVE PROGRAMME DEPARTEMENT OF SURGICAL ONCOLOGY OSAKA CITY UNIVERSITY

Being involved in International Elective Programme in Osaka City University facilitated me to gain new knowledge and skills. I studied in surgical oncology departement during this programme because my passion is to be a future oncologyst doctor. I explore many things during this programme, and the materials that I studied here were very comprehensive. Beside my involvement in surgery due to my enrolment in the surgical oncology departement, I also parcitipated in the clinical and topic-specific conference, supporting examination study (CT-scan, endoscopy, biopsy, etc), peripheral acces for central catether, laboratory observation, professor patient visit, student study group, some skills training class (blood sampling and suturing) and patient case study.

First session of this programme is suturing skills training and overview. Then, I participated in the professore visit to patient. During this visit, the doctor who treat the patient, explained the patient condition to the professor. After that we had pre-operation conference to discuss about patient case that will be operated one week later. The day after, I joined the operation. In one day there are about three to five operations from this departement which gave me freedom to choose which operation I want to engange in. In one day I usually take part in about two or three operations. One operation usually took 4 to 7 hours. There are so many cases that I studied in the operation room.

I always asked the doctor to teach me about the case of the operation, the clinical finding of the patient, the procedure conducted and the explanation of the patient medical record (CT-scan result, blood test, etc.). I had experienced three times to be an operation assistant. When I was being an assitant, I performed suturing, cutting, and some other procedures to the patient under doctor supervision. The doctor usually asked me about the anatomical structure that we encountered during the operation which was challenging for me to answer it correctly because anatomical atlas book and the actual observed are very different. Moreover, camera assisted surgery is more difficult to be observed as I have to understand the direction of the camera. Sometimes, the doctor explained about the device that we used during the operation. It was so interesting to understand the whole process in the operation.

Besides exploring the surgical operation, I learned other procedures in this departement. I observed peripheral acces of central catheter using x-ray assisted method, USG, endoscopy, echograpy, biopsy, etc. Skills training also challenged me to practice my skills, for example was skin suturing and blood sampling. Moreover, people are very welcome and some doctors are very friendly which propels me to be more enjoying this programme.

The facilities in the hospital are complete and staff (doctor, nurse, etc) are very kind ehich support me to accomplish my study during this elective programme. I asked them about everything that I curious about and they always tried to explain it to me. In addition to study medicine, I also observe Japanese people culture, health coverage and doctor and patient interaction. Japenesse people were very polite, obey the rule, always try to help others as much as they can and on time. However, Japanese people have difficulty to speak English so that in some condition I can't communicate well with them.

Osaka City University is located in the center of Osaka City, near Tennoji Station. After class, usually I went sightseeing to explore the city. Osaka is a very nice city, there are many places to visit. We can go to the city area for shopping and having dinner with frends, visit historical building like Osaka Castle and Glico or go to another city near Osaka such as Kobe, Nara, and Kyoto.