Modern medical care is carried out by the integrated work of health professionals such as physicians, nurses, clinical laboratory technicians, physical therapists, occupational therapists, pharmacists, etc. Education of these professionals has been achieved in a variety of colleges, universities and medical schools, through which they obtain professional knowledge and skill. Medical treatment has been focused on curing specific diseases or illness. It is increasing important today to care a patient as a whole individual. In the highly advanced modern medicine, it is not easy for specialists to do such comprehensive medical care by themselves. Instead, a medical team, in which specialists from various fields work in close collaboration, plays a vital role. In the Showa campus of Gunma University, we have School of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, and University Hospital, which provides an ideal environment for the education of interprofessional collaboration of medical and health-care students. A simulated training course is designed, focusing on multidisciplinary care of patients. We believe that this initiative will be a big leap toward the education of interprofessional collaboration in medical treatment.

Kuniaki Takata, Ph.D., D.M.Sc.
Dean