Activity Report of Open Application Program 2022 vol.14 (Course B)
Exchange with Early−Career Brazilian Doctors
— Medical Care for the Elderly and Global Cancer Treatment —
Report from the International Medical Center, University of Tsukuba Hospital
In 2022, the University of Tsukuba Hospital invited three young doctors from Hospital Japonés Santa Cruz in Brazil for the 21−day period from September 11th to October 1st and conducted training as part of the Sakura Science Program with the support of JST. The University of Tsukuba came to an agreement in 2016 with Hospital Japonés Santa Cruz in Brazil, the sending institution, and the exchange continues to this day. Even during the COVID−19 pandemic, we continued communications online. This year, we could finally invite people for the exchange, and we were delighted to restart on−site visits.
The major features of this year's program include the welcoming and send off of our invited guests by the students of our university's School of Medicine, accompanied tours, and opinion exchanges. Our goal is to create opportunities for active exchange with the next generation and continue these efforts. The exchange among young medical professionals who will lead the next generation is very valuable and we hope these wonderful experiences will sow the seeds of students' futures.
In our plan for this year, three young doctors from the sending institution (gastrointestinal surgeon Dr. Erica SAKAMOTO, radiologist Dr. Geovanne Pedro MAURO, and geriatrician Dr. Aline Mary AKITA) were invited with the theme of "Medical Care for the Elderly and Global Cancer Treatment." While tackling issues in multiple clinical departments (gastrointestinal surgery, radiation oncology, and rehabilitation), we conducted training and joint research. The aim is to build a mutual network and to improve personnel training of young medical professionals in the future. The three guests were very busy and learned a lot during their time here. They observed surgeries late into the night and participated in conferences starting early in the morning.
On September 14th, we held an opinion exchange meeting with the School of Medicine students at Saza Coffee University of Tsukuba on campus. The guests were able to enjoy Aliança coffee provided by Aliança Farm in Brazil, which is related to the sending institution. They enjoyed chatting together and the taste of coffee from their home country. The students asked questions about the guests' future career plans and the guests enthusiastically shared their experiences with the students. It was a lively exchange between two generations.
Our hospital supports the dispatch of young doctors overseas and we hope that, in the future, many young doctors will be sent to Hospital Japonés Santa Cruz to continue mutual research and exchange.
On September 17th, our students took our guests on a tour of the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation. While traveling by train, they enjoyed the scenery and atmosphere of Japan and experienced Japanese science and technology at the Museum. They also had the chance to try Japanese food and enjoyed Japanese culture.
On September 23rd, we planned to visit the research facilities in Tsukuba City but, on that day, we were only able to visit JAXA because of a typhoon. The change in plans was unfortunate, but we had positive comments from the guests saying, "That was my first time experiencing a typhoon."
On September 30th, they participated in a Tsukuba Global Science Week (TGSW) 2022 session, the last event of the training. The session was held in a hybrid format that connected the world online with the international conference center. Dr. Sandra Hiroko WATANABE, Chief of the Division of Rheumatology from Hospital Japonés Santa Cruz, Brazil, gave a presentation titled "Osteoporosis in the Brazilian Elderly Population." In addition, there were presentations at the venue with various perspectives given by gastrointestinal surgeons, oncologists, cardiovascular doctors, and psychiatrists, based on the keywords "cancer treatment" and "elderly," and it was a very meaningful session.
After the TGSW session, our guests returned to the hospital, and we held the SSP training report session and certificate award ceremony. The three guests presented the results of their training and received certificates of completion from the doctors in charge of each department.
On October 1st and 2nd, the guests were divided into two groups and sent off by the students as they left Japan, successfully concluding the SSP program.
Lastly, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the people who cooperated with the JST Sakura Science Program for giving us such a valuable opportunity and responding flexibly. Thank you very much.
