Medical School

　My name is Keiji Inoue. Medical School, and since then Faculty under the slogan: Medical School: A place of learning that inspires excitement among students, faculty, staff, and the local community alike.” I am honored to have been given the opportunity Medical School for a two-year term beginning in April 2026.Moving forward, guided by the founding principles of Kochi Medical University—"Respect for Heaven and Love for Humanity" and "The Pursuit of Truth"—I am committed to fulfilling Medical School mission Medical School compassionate doctors, nurses, educators, and researchers who meet the needs of the local community. To this end, I will strive to maintain close communication with faculty, staff, and students, Medical School we think and act together, and dedicate myself to the development of the entire Kochi University.

　In 2022, the seven-year “Kuroshio Medical Professionals Training Project,” led by Medical School former Medical School, was selected by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) as a hub for training medical personnel in the post-COVID era. Kochi University,Wakayama Prefectural University of Medicine, and Mie University—all facing common challenges such as population decline, a high proportion of elderly residents, regional disparities in medical care, and the threat of a massive Nankai Trough earthquake—have collaborated on this educational initiative for medical students. The project aims to train a new generation of “Kuroshio Medical Professionals” equipped with comprehensive skills to meet regional needs. In partnership with hub hospitals in areas facing physician shortages, we have implemented practical learning experiences starting in the early years of medical school. Through the joint development of e-learning content, the hosting of joint symposia, and mutual exchanges between students and faculty, we have strived to create diverse learning opportunities and improve educational quality.

　Following this, in 2024, a six-year large-scale project titled “Training Program for Research Physicians Capable of Utilizing Medical Data Mining, Centered on Advanced Medical Research” was selected as part of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s (MEXT) Initiative for the Formation of Centers for Training Advanced Medical Personnel.We were able to launch an educational initiative to train “Advanced Medical Fellows” who can promote Medical School cutting-edge medical research—such as radiation medicine, regenerative medicine, and genomics—as well as medical data mining research utilizing the new RYOMA3 system, while also learning research support at the Center for Next-Generation Medical Innovation and practicing high-quality clinical guidance.

　In addition to Faculty proactive initiatives to nurture Faculty and young physicians, we have been working to improve the pass rate for the National Medical Licensing Examination, increase enrollment and completion rates Graduate School, and address challenges identified in the field-specific evaluation of medical education. Furthermore, to foster a greater interest in pursuing a career in Medical School at an earlier stage, we held our first-ever open campus event targeting not only high school students but also elementary school students.We have also actively and concretely advanced new initiatives with a clear focus on the near future, such as launching a “Hometown Tax” program to deepen our collaboration with Nankoku City, where our campus is located.

　Moving forward, Medical School will continue to promote cutting-edge medical education centered on the two major themes demanded by society—advanced medicine and community healthcare. We will cultivate doctors, nurses, medical educators, and medical researchers who embody the “Kochi brand” and who will pioneer and lead the next generation of medicine and nursing, sending them out from Kochi to the world. Finally, Medical School welcomed its first class of students in April 1978, and Medical School, we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of Medical School.We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to our graduates, their families, all those involved, and the local community for their support over the past 50 years. Looking ahead to the next 50 years, we are committed to strengthening our efforts to train the next generation of healthcare professionals who will firmly support Medical School, and we will strive to achieve even greater success Medical School i Medical School as a whole. We ask for your continued support and assistance in the future.

Medical School, Keishi Inoue

　Medical Course is a program with the clear objective of obtaining a national medical license. To achieve this, students must possess a certain level of knowledge and experience and must meet a vast number of learning objectives. Among the most important qualities required of a physician is the ability to learn. While the primary task of students is to master the existing body of medical knowledge developed by their predecessors and reach the starting line, the medicine you are learning is, in fact, not perfect but still evolving.The time I have spent as a physician is but a fleeting moment in the vast history of medicine, yet even during that time, medical conventions have been overturned and the field has undergone significant changes on numerous occasions.Medicine is constantly evolving, and physicians must engage in lifelong learning. Improving not only your knowledge but also your learning skills will be an asset for life. Learning skills require human abilities that AI cannot replicate—such as grasping concepts and key points, explaining them logically, determining priorities and tackling the most important tasks first, and, in some cases, working cooperatively in groups to teach and be taught. The only way to acquire these skills is through daily effort. I hope you will approach your studies with a clear sense of purpose and perseverance.

　 As I mentioned earlier, medicine is constantly evolving, and the driving force behind this evolution is medicine as a science. Before you begin studying clinical medicine, you will first learn about basic medical science and social medicine—the fields that have underpinned the advancement of medicine. I want you to understand that modern medicine is built upon the discoveries of scientists who have challenged conventional wisdom.When studying clinical medicine, linking it to these fields of basic and social medicine will enable a deeper understanding. It is also important to recognize the extent to which current clinical medicine has been scientifically elucidated and which areas remain unexplained.

　As you advance to your upper-level years, you will finally begin clinical rotations at hospitals. It is important to remember that a hospital is a public setting where patients come to receive treatment. Therefore, as long as you are conducting clinical rotations there, it is essential to maintain the proper professional demeanor expected of a member of society. Patients are cooperating with you so that you can become doctors, so please conduct yourself with a sense of gratitude.When studying actual clinical cases, your learning efficiency will improve if you approach them while reviewing the concepts you have acquired in clinical medicine. Furthermore, real-world clinical cases are complex systems where various medical conditions interact with one another, and where a patient’s social background and values influence treatment—they rarely follow textbook scenarios exactly.For the most part, it is only through hands-on training that you can truly grasp examination techniques, diagnostic and surgical procedures, and the use of medical equipment and devices. Furthermore, it is important to recognize that a hospital functions not solely through the efforts of physicians, but through collaboration with various professionals across different departments. Hospitals are filled with resources to help you become a doctor; by adopting a mindset of actively seeking experience rather than merely observing, the depth and value of your clinical training will be entirely different.

　The fundamental principle that physicians treat patients with respect has remained unchanged since ancient times, but medicine and healthcare have constantly evolved in response to the circumstances of each era. Physicians must also be sensitive to social conditions and changes. I believe that today’s society has changed significantly since my student days. These changes include the accelerating aging of the population, declining birth rates, and population decline in developed nations; the impact of the pandemic; the rapid advancement of IT technology; climate change; and the deterioration of the international situation.Under these circumstances, medicine and healthcare are expected to be significantly affected, and we anticipate that various new challenges will arise that require our response. To solve these problems, it is essential that you—with your fresh perspectives and flexible thinking—grow as future physicians and play active roles in the fields of clinical practice, research, and education. Above all, the foundational knowledge you acquire Medical Course is crucial for your future success. I sincerely hope that your time as students will be fulfilling.

Medical Course Shinpei Fujimoto

　Since its establishment Nursing CourseMedical SchoolNursing Course has produced numerous nursing professionals for clinical, community, and educational settings over the past quarter-century. Nursing Course training “nursing professionals who, grounded in a liberal arts education and specialized knowledge, possess the sensitivity to empathize with people’s feelings and a strong sense of social justice, and who can use their nursing practice skills to support people’s health and daily lives.” It also aims to cultivate “individuals equipped with the innovative capacity to realize better medical care and nursing by continuously learning to address various societal issues from a nursing perspective and working collaboratively with other professions to solve these challenges.”

The general education curriculum is designed to foster a deep understanding of “people” and “learning” itself, providing students with a solid foundation for future specialization. In the specialized courses, we offer an educational program that bridges nursing theory and fundamentals with practical application, enabling students to master nursing—often referred to as the “science of practice.”The curriculum is comprehensive, incorporating lectures not only from Nursing Course faculty but also from Medical Course faculty, as well as physicians and highly specialized nurses engaged in cutting-edge medical care Medical School Hospital.

Medical School HospitalMedical SchoolMedical School Hospital are located on the same campus, providing students with opportunities to engage with clinical settings from their early years. Through collaboration between academic departments and clinical units, we deliver a dynamic educational program grounded in the latest medical and nursing research. Above all, many graduates Nursing Course are employed Medical School Hospital the Nursing CourseMedical School Hospital, where they warmly support and mentor Nursing Course.

In the local community, students participate in clinical rotations in mountainous and rural areas as well as in home-based medical and nursing settings. Additionally, through the “Family Medicine Dojo” run by the Department of Family Medicine, students interact with local residents, patients, and healthcare professionals who support community healthcare, allowing them to learn practical community medicine alongside their fellow medical students.

Nursing Course aims to develop nursing professionals who are equipped not only with the specialized knowledge required for nursing, but also with the ability to flexibly adapt to and overcome the changes and challenges of a rapidly evolving society and healthcare landscape, and to move forward into the future.

Kuniko Tada, Director of the Nursing Course Program