About Graduate School of Medicine and School of Medicine
Characteristics
Contents
- Ⅰ．Improvement of School of Medicine and University Hospital is progressing.
- Ⅱ．Researches at our Neurovascular Research Facility and other centers have been advancing.
- Ⅳ．University Hospital has been improved.
- Ⅴ．Graduate School of Medicine, the core of research, is further advancing.
- Ⅵ．Research system in the Graduate School of Medicine has been strengthened.
- Ⅶ．Education at School of Medicine is constantly improving.
- Ⅸ．International Programs
- Ⅹ．Contribution to community medicine
- In the end
Ⅰ．Improvement of School of Medicine and University Hospital is progressing.
With the departmentalization in 2007, all previous departments and sections became courses of the graduate school, and some of them were renamed. In addition, our educational and research systems have been reviewed since 2007 and Departments of Oncology, have been added. With progressed reforms and improvement, Graduate School of Medicine has received increased recognition.Ⅱ．Researches at our Neurovascular Research Facility and other centers have been advancing.
In 1999, continuation of our restructured Neurovascular Research Facility (No-ken) was determined. The organization of this facility closely collaborates with other groups specialized in brain research to further develop researches in this field. It is the only affiliated research facility in Tohoku and Hokkaido regions. Researches on brain research will remain a pillar of researches at our university in the future.Glycoenginnering Department was added to Molecular Biological Protection Department to advance innovative research of our own at Advanced Medical Research Center established in 2005. Cancer Treatment and Research Center, Transplantation and Research Center, Cardiovascular Diseases Research Center, and Health and Sports Medicine Center were all established in 2006 under Graduate School of Medicine as special education research centers for School of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine. They collaborate educational and research abilities across the department categories to produce results.
Ⅳ．University Hospital has been improved.
Advanced Emergency Medical Center will be established.
In 2010, Advanced Emergency Medical Center was be established in our University Hospital. This center is the first emergency medical facility in Japan that handles emergency radiation exposure. It will play an important role to support Japanese energy policy and serve with greater ability as the last resort for emergency care in the area. This center is also expected to provide training for future healthcare professionals in the area, especially for emergency medicine.
Further improvement of the medical care system at University Hospital has progressed.
The University Hospital is the only advanced treatment hospital in Aomori with the developed and approved advanced treatments including (1) laser angioplasty, (2) angioscopy, (3) living-donor liver transplantation, (4) intravascular ultrasound diagnostics, (5) ruby laser treatment for skin pigmentary disorders, (6) periodontal degeneration, (7) dental implants, and (8) DNA tests for dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa. Of these, (2)-(5) are now covered by insurance, and the current advanced treatment includes only 3; (1), (6), and (8).
Our University Hospital is surely improving the medical system including the establishment of Departments of Oncology, Advanced Emergency Medical Center, Respiratory Medicine and Rehabilitation Medicine.
We recognize faculty and staff who contribute to medical care at University Hospital.
We recognize faculty and staff who contribute to improvement of the medical standards at University Hospital. "Customer service award" is given to nursing and administrative staff who contribute to the patient service, and "medical technology award" is given to faculty which contributes to improvement of the medical technology.
Ⅴ．Graduate School of Medicine, the core of research, is further advancing.
Graduate School of Medicine is being reformed.
In 2007, previous graduate program for medicine became Graduate School of Medicine. This change was due to the new Ph.D. program for health science majors in the original graduate program for medicine, which separated medical research major and health science major to become independent. From the era of graduate program for medicine medical research major, the organization was reviewed, and graduate students can learn educational research courses for each project, receive instructions on educational research, and take other educational courses related to their projects to obtain wide knowledge and skills.
Substantiation of the graduate educational program
As well as substantiation of the graduate education, both core and professional courses have already been established to provide scheduled classes in order for students to obtain basic theory and skills for medical and bioscience research since the previous medical graduate program. This system still serves as principle; however, it continues to be reviewed and each department sets up their courses and labs.
Graduate lectures for full-time working students in distant areas
Since 1999, graduate lectures have been provided using two-way communication between hospitals in distant areas and Hirosaki University through interactive TV conference subjected to full-time working students. Currently, lectures are connected to approximately 20 hospitals. As consideration to the full-time working students, some of the courses have been provided intensively to give an opportunity for appropriate education for full-time working students in distant areas.
Reduction of required years of study
If students obtain required credit hours and produce excellent dissertation within 3 to 3.5 years, they can complete Graduate School early and obtain Ph.D. (medicine).
Ⅵ．Research system in the Graduate School of Medicine has been strengthened.
Promotion of projects by external grants
Graduate School of Medicine and School of Medicine have provided research support by Karauji Medical Research Scholarship for many years. Every year a couple of researchers receive this Grant
We plan to continue to launch basic and clinical integrated research projects and support them intensively by the external resources.
Academic awards of Hirosaki University School of Medicine
(1)Academic excellence awards
Of many researches conducted at our university, the most outstanding research is selected every year and recognized with academic excellence award.
(2)Academic encouragement awards
Every year, the most outstanding dissertation that was published within two years is selected and recognized with academic encouragement award. The past recipients are as follows. Every year, the level of awarded dissertation is getting higher, reflecting the progress of the research at our university.
Ⅶ．Education at School of Medicine is constantly improving.
Course curriculum at Hirosaki University School of Medicine
Since the core curriculum was introduced in 2001, community-related medicine courses and education to promote researches were advocated by the revisions in 2008; however, our School of Medicine had already been providing community medicine lab since 2006 and research training since 2004. For the curriculum, curriculum WG assess and reviews the system constantly. In 2014, a new curriculum has been started at School of Medicine.
Increased class size at School of Medicine
Increased size at School of Medicine Recently the clas size was increased Educational facility has been improved to accommodate this increase, and both School of Medicine and University Hospital have been working on fulfilling medical education with tremendous efforts.
Support from Aomori Medical Promotion Association
Based on Houou Medical Promotion Association established in March, 1999 to support School of Medicine, Aomori Medical Promotion Association was established in April, 2001. It receives donations from faculty and staff, student sponsors, alumni, and healthcare institutes to support facilities and events related to student education. For example, Aomori Medical Promotion Association, which strongly supports educational activities at School of Medicine, have sponsored environmental arrangement for labs, extracurricular activities, and student awards.
International educational encouragement awards are given to enthusiastic faculty members to visit medical schools overseas.
The academic committee nominates faculty members who are passionate about education at School of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, and as a part of international exchange program, several faculty members visit foreign countries to learn educational situation everyyear.
Ⅸ．International Programs
Exchange programs between universities
In 2005, a contract was concluded between departments with China Medical University. Every year, we receive and sponsor one graduate student to basic medicine department for 3 years as measures of Graduate School of Medicine.
In the School of Medicine, several students attend the externship program at Misawa U.S. Military Hospital every year.
Hirosaki University International Forum of Medical Science
Hirosaki University School of Medicine has an international symposium named "Hirosaki International Forum of Medical Science" since 1997. This is a research symposium organized and managed by our research group which conducts innovative research to invite prominent national and international speakers for discussions.
Proceedings of this symposium is published as supplement to Hirosaki Medical Journal to offer an opportunity to disseminate the latest research information to the world.