Basic Idea

 Education and research, and medical service are conducted to equip students with a sense of culture and ethics from an international viewpoint, and cultivate in them the spirit of scientific inquiry, of developing medical and nursing sciences, and consequently making a contribution to the development of the community and the welfare of humanity.

Educational Goal

 The educational goal is to produce doctors and nurses who are able to meet the needs of the times by developing in the students a sense of culture and ethics and the spirit of scientific inquiry as well as a humanistic orientation which will enable them to maintain the utmost respect for human life.

History

 Shimane Medical University was founded in 1975 and has sent more than 2,400 outstanding physicians to medical facilities all over Japan. In 1999, the School of Nursing was established to educate and train nurses in this growing field. Shimane Medical University was merged into Shimane University on October 1, 2003 and became the Faculty of Medicine of Shimane University. Our campus is located in Izumo City and is separate from another facilities located in Matsue. It consists of 269 academic staff and almost 850 undergraduate students.
 The Faculty of Medicine has 40 departments in the School of Medicine and 3 departments in the School of Nursing. The undergraduate course for the School of Medicine lasts 6 years and that of the School of Nursing lasts 4 years.

International Admission Policy

 We accept international students with a clear vision in their academic research and their own future. We provide advanced lectures in every academic area with a focus on basic and clinical medicine.
Please contact us!
URL:http://www.med.shimane-u.ac.jp/

Message from Dean

Osamu SHIDO Professor

 Welcome to the Izumo campus of Shimane University. The Faculty of Medicine, composed of the School of Medicine and School of Nursing, is located in Izumo, the second largest city in Shimane Prefecture, where about 1,000 students are studying medicine or nursing. In addition, we have nearly 40 foreign students and researchers from 7 different countries. On campus, there are various well-organized laboratories and facilities that are utilized for basic medical and biological research projects. We also have a highly equipped medical center where a number of clinical research projects are ongoing, as well as development of new medical devices and techniques. Foreign students and researchers can observe research activities and are encouraged to participate in these projects.
 The Izumo-area is strongly related to the establishment of ancient Japan. Outside campus, therefore, Izumo has many interesting historical and cultural places to visit. For example, Izumo-Taisha shrine, where you could feel the Japanese spirit, is one of the oldest and most famous shrines in Japan. And the nereby Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine is a world historical treasure surrounded by beautiful mountains. Our sincere hope is that all of foreign visitors will enjoy the academic and cultural activities with us in and around the Izumo Campus of Shimane University.

Autologous Bone Screw Fixation

 We have recently developed a new device using precise bone processing to make autologous bone screws from a patient’s own bone fragments. This computercontrolled processing device can accurately and safely make any type of bone screw within a short period of time even while operating in the theater.
 Our basic studies demonstrated that the initial strength of bone screws was equal with that of metallic screws, that pull-out strength gradually increased after fixation and that was completely replaced with bone tissue in the donor site.
 On the basis of these studies and with approval of the Ethics Committee of Shimane University Hospital in 2007, we began autologous bone screw fixation to repair small bone fractures and osteochondral fractures. Although we have to continue to verify effectiveness and safety, we believe that autologous bone screw fixation may be a promising treatment for small bone fractures and osteochondral fractures.

Education of Rural Medicine

 Shimane University Faculty of Medicine offers a substantial education program for rural medicine to medical students and residents who can learn primary care and patient-centered care in the community. This program continues under the close relationship between our university and a variety of hospitals and clinics in Shimane Prefecture. University of Washington (UW) School of Medicine also provides an excellent education program for rural medicine called WWAMI which stands for an enduring partnership between UW and the states of Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho. Since 2006, we have visited UW to learn this program and to get feedback on our own medical education system. In addition to UW, we have visited other universities and hospitals abroad that have been practicing prominent medical education.
 From 2005-2008, around 150 staff, most of whom were faculty members, have visited such universities and hospitals. Thus, we have encouraged faculty members to improve their clinical skills.
 Although we have described only part of our programs for rural medicine, Shimane University Faculty of Medicine will continue to focus on and promote rural medicine.

School of Medicine

Department of Developmental Biology
Department of Anatomy and Morphological Neuroscience
Department of Environmental Physiology
Department of Neural and Muscular Physiology
Department of Medical Biochemistry
Department of Biochemistry, Division of Molecular Medicine
Department of Life Science Molecular Science/Tumor Biology/Health and Sports Science
Department of Pharmacology
Department of Pathology, Functional Pathology Section
Department of Pathology, Organ Pathology Section
Department of Microbiology
Department of Immunology
Department of Legal Medicine
Department of Public Health
Department of Environmental Preventive Medicine
Department of Medical Informatics
Department of Medical,Social and Cultural Science Psychology/English
Department of Internal Medicine I
Department of Internal Medicine II
Department of Internal Medicine III
Department of Internal Medicine IV
Department of Internal Medicine Division of Clinical Oncology & Respiratory Medicine
Department of Dermatology
Department of Pediatrics
Department of Digestive and General Surgery
Department of Cardiovascular and Chest Surgery
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
Department of Neurosurgery
Department of Urology
Department of Psychiatry
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Department of Otorhinolaryngology
Department of Ophthalmology
Department of Radiology
Department of Radiation Oncology
Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Department of Laboratory Medicine
Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine
Department of Education for Rural Medicine

School of Nursing

Department of Fundamental Nursing
Department of Clinical Nursing
Department of Community Nursing

Graduate School of Medical Research

Master’s Course

Medical Science:

1. Medical Research course

 The purpose of this course is to educate bachelors of nonmedical fields to integrate their expertise with basic and clinical medical science. It aims to develop the ability to do research and other work

2. Oncology Pharmacy course

 The oncology pharmacy course focuses on the development of competencies for pharmacists who desire to be an oncology pharmacy specialist (certified pharmacist in oncology pharmacy). In addition to providing lectures and research projects for clinical pharmacology and therapeutics in malignancies, this course provides training sessions at the University Hospital to learn practical knowledge and skills in pharmaceutical intervention and care for cancer patients.

3. Coordinator Course for Rural Medicine

 This Coordinator Course for Rural Medicine started in 2009. This course aims to foster coordinators who can support rural doctors and help coordinate rural medicine. This course provides the opportunity to experience a rural medical practice session for 8 weeks each year.

Nursing:

 The nursing course provides lifelong learning opportunities to nurses who wish to develop their own knowledge and skills in nursing practice and research. The program integrates theory and practice towards a holistic vision of nursing care. The course consists of three programs: (1) Nursing administration and Nursing skills, (2) Maternal-child nursing and Adult health nursing, and (3) Gerontological nursing and Community health nursing.

Doctoral Course

 There is strong demand to train world-class medical researchers and skilled clinicians with research ability. Therefore, we offer a choice of three courses as a basic organization policy.

1. Medical Research course

 The purpose of this course is to instruct researchers on how to investigate basic and clinical medical science as well as biological science. We aim to develop human resources who can show leadership in research and education fields with enough knowledge and advanced research capacity to show creative and self-reliance in a specialized field of medicine. The subjects of the research are: (1) mechanisms, diagnoses and treatments of abnormal responses caused by intrinsic and/or extrinsic factors as well as neoplasia, (2) the physiological and pathological aging processes from prenatal development to senescence, (3) investigation of how change, both inside and outside an organism, influences the function of a creature from the respect of cell function, biofunction and its regulation and biofunction in its pathological state, (4) systematically understanding the functional view of human illness and (5) consideration on the prevention and/ or treatment of the illness. Furthermore, some postgraduate students work to: (1) investigate dynamic biological responses in organisms reacting to various kinds of intrinsic and/or extrinsic factors exerting biological functions in vivo through systematic analyses at the molecular, cellular, individual, and human social levels and (2) comprehensively consider the mechanisms and pathemas underlying such biological responses.

2. Medical Oncologist Training Course

 Japanese Society of Medical Oncology (JSMO) examines and certifies physicians who choose to acquire additional education and training to subspecialize in medical oncology, the use of medical and chemotherapeutic treatments of cancer. To become certified as an oncologist, a candidate must first graduate from an accredited medical school before entering into training as a specialist (e.g., internist) and subspecialist (e.g., medical oncologist,). This course provides enough advanced clinical training in oncology and in oncologic research to take the examination of JSMO. In addition to gaining clinical and research experience, fellows have the opportunity to pursue a doctoral degree.

3. Medical Specialist Training Course

 This course provides advanced clinical training in each special medical field and enough research experience to take the Medical Specialist examination of each association. In addition to gaining clinical and research experience, fellows have the opportunity to pursue a doctoral degree.