Thomas Jefferson University Study Report

This exchange program was so stimulating and exciting that I learned a lot of things in terms of knowledge, mind. I really appreciate staffs and doctors who give us the chance of clinical clerkship in U.S.
I was impressed at how hard medical students in U.S. study and the system of JeffHOPE and Chinatown clinic. At this program, we observed internal medicine, ER, family clinic, pediatric, and Chinatown clinic and took some lesson such as cardiology, mind of doctor. Characteristic of this hospital is how JeffHOPE and Chinatown clinic work. Some people can’t take any medicine because they don’t have life insurance or the document of entry permit. In order to improve this situation, students help these people. Some of students translate Chinese or Indonesian into English because there are various races in U.S. and all of them can’t speak English. And other students actually ask patients and diagnose some disease. Although they can’t order medicine they make a short presentation to a teaching doctor and judge which medicine is proper and finally explain the patients about the disease, medicine and the side effects. I can’t believe how large knowledge the students have and how hard they work. Additionally this work is completely voluntary, so they don’t get salary. In Japan, many students do part-time job for money on weekday and hang out with their friends on weekends. I was shocked that their attitude towards medicine is totally different.
Dr Lau, teaching doctor in Chinatown clinic, believes that doing good things without expecting return changes the world. He is ER doctor and goes to the clinic once a week.
His advice to students is very exact and he teaches the reason why the medicine is proper. Some drugs are very expensive or require high compliance, so he orders the uncommon medicine taking social reason into consideration. He has strong passion for his work and his work is amazing, so every students respect him. I was very impressed at his mind too, so I want to imitate his mind and try to do good things without expecting return.
I found advantage and disadvantage of Japanese culture and medicine through this program. Studying abroad is chance to find the difference between Japan and foreign countries and think about how we improve Japanese culture. I’m not good to speak English but I enjoyed communicating with them because foreign people have completely different way of thinking from Japanese people, and talking with them is very stimulating and exciting and interesting. I hope that young students experience this program and get stimulated like us.