I’m interested in learning medicine globally and so I tried to join this MTM course and had a chance to learn here in Nagasaki.
As an MTM graduate, I’d like to introduce you about this course. The course consists of 4 terms. During the first two terms, we, MTM students, learn with students belonging to MSH and MSc. All lectures, not only Statistics and Epidemiology, but also Tropical medicines were motivating. I could learn the way of thinking from international students (mostly from Asia and Africa), have discussion, work hard and encourage each other, and also take a rest with chatting among not only medical doctors but also nurses, pharmacists and so on. This was a wonderful opportunity to broaden my outlook and give me a new view of the world. Additionally, I could have a valuable relationship with a lot of students from all over the world beyond just one of a Japanese pediatrician.
During the third term, lectures are more detailed and enlarged our knowledge. Only with MTM students, lots of lectures are based on clinical medicine; there are case presentations from collaborated facilities in Viet Nam and Philippines and lectures presented by LSHTM. Those were really interesting and impressive. Just from my personal pediatric point of view, lectures related to pediatrics were not so many but they were really valuable because I could have a chance to see real measles which I could have not done just in Japan and to know the severe dehydration and malnutrition. These inspired me to see children globally.
During winter and summer terms, we worked on our research and finished writing master’s thesis. It was hard to manage just in one year but somehow I completed all my assignments, thanks to my supervisor and assistant professors. It was a nice experience to complete.
In the summer term, we happily had an opportunity to visit and stay in the Philippines for two weeks and learn tropical medicine by lectures and bedside teaching in an actual tropical area. We were very lucky to join this course in 2018 to 2019 and hope this fieldtrip continues.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation to you all; professors, supervisors, students, and staff in TMGH. Thank you for all of your support. I could have a very meaningful and fruitful time with you.
I am Yannick Munyeku, a Medical Doctor working for the DR Congo Ministry of Health. I went to Japan through JICA ABE Initiative as part of the human resources capacity building program. As a TMGH student, I had a rich and diverse experience. Courses were designed and taught to provide to students relevant knowledge to efficiently and comprehensively deal with global health issues across the globe and in developing countries specifically. As a MTM student, I have been able to strengthen and acquire competitive skills in biomedical research, epidemiology and clinical management of Infectious diseases while networking with colleagues, researchers, clinicians and academia from all over the world. I strongly recommend TMGH to health professionals who would like to endlessly work for a safer world where nobody is left behind.
MY name’s Gavicho Lindo Celestino, from Mozambique.After graduated at Faculty of Medicine, I worked as clinician at districtal hospital and simultaneously as administrative manager of the hospital and as clinical director, coordinating clinical activities all over the district with 15 health centers. I entered in Nagasaki University supported by ABE Initiative (African Business and Education for youth Initiative).
As MTM (Master of Tropical Medicine) I experienced four main pillars:
1. View of global medicine
2. As clinician how to conduct clinical cases focused in tropical or infectious disease.
3. Introduction of research, it was first experience and it motivate me to continue doing research as clinician.
4. Laboratory work for diagnosis.
I hope that from this very important experience and learning I achieved I’ll continue to combine clinical and research to meet the needs of health in the community.
Really the Nagasaki University – TMGH, is a Center of Human Building for Tomorrow.
(MINISTRY OF HEALTH, Provincial Directorate of Health in Zambézia- Mozambique)
What attracted me to TMGH then, after scouring the internet for graduate schools of medicine within Japan, were the MTM course’s flexible timetable, its use of English as the medium of instruction, its roster of high caliber faculty, its close collaboration with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and other prominent organizations, and my general perception of the school as a nurturing community.
My one year stay in TMGH as an MTM graduate student did not disappoint. I expected the coursework to be challenging and intensive, and it was. In retrospect, I think I enjoyed spring quarter the most, albeit having a hectic schedule. Sessions in tropical medicine, epidemiology and statistics equipped me with the right knowledge and skills to successfully carry out my master’s thesis with the guidance of my supportive research supervisors. Overall, there was a palpable intention to contribute solutions to global health issues within the school atmosphere that could easily rub off on students. Taking this course changed my perspective towards research, inspired me to aim for higher studies, and rekindled my childhood dream of making a difference.
My name is Yen Hai Doan. I come from Vietnam.
Before I came here, I worked at the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology which serves for maintaining public health in my country, particularly with respect to various infectious diseases. My job at the time required a high level of working knowledge regarding infectious diseases, particularly those prevalent in tropical, developing countries including Vietnam. That was why I entered the Tropical Medicine Master’s course.
We were given access to a lot of advanced facilities during our studies. The lectures as well as hospital case reports by the professors, doctors and invited speakers were really helpful to widen our knowledge in tropical infectious diseases and related disciplines.
From the knowledge and skills I acquired in the master’s course, I wanted to strive to obtain an even higher and more advanced level of education by enrolling in the PhD course at this school under the supervision of Professor Nakagomi.
After graduation, I worked at Nagasaki University’s School of Medicine as a tenure-track assistant professor. Currently, I work as a researcher at the National Institute of Infectious Disease in Japan. Here, I am involved in research activities relating to gastroenteritis disease in children. The skills, knowledge and research practices I cultivated from the MTM course are extremely helpful. This positive experience in my research career from the MTM and PhD courses at Nagasaki University inspired me to seek a heightened level of involvement in new directions.
This is my first experience conducting a medical study.
I Nagasaki, I learned about the important processes of how to formulate a study. Afterwards, the study itself was carried out in a regional hospital in Afghanistan. I managed to enroll more than 500 children with a diagnosis of pneumonia and now I am analyzing the collected samples and data.
This will be one of the first research studies which will provide useful information for the prevention and treatment of childhood pneumonia in Afghanistan.
I am deeply grateful for the support of my supervisor, Prof. Koya Ariyoshi, Head of the Department of Clinical Medicine at NEKKEN.
For three months in Manila I conducted research relating to tuberculosis at a national infectious disease hospital. Prior to that, when I was still in Nagasaki, I had attended lectures on biostatistics and medical ethics which were core to the clinical research and made my research proposal along with my supervisor.
When I arrived in Manila, I made a presentation about my proposal before all the research collaborators, followed by further discussions with them. This allowed my proposal to be approved by the ethics committee of the hospital where I eventually worked at.
My supervisors and I communicated frequently through TV conference so I could modify and take actions appropriate to the specific situations in the field. By the end of my stay, I was able to collect the necessary data which I analyzed and wrote for my master thesis.
I also joined many clinical sessions in the wards and met outpatients at the hospital. They gave me the invaluable opportunity to see many tropical clinical cases never seen here in Japan and to understand their management.
This “Overseas Clinical Research Program” is an outstanding program which provides both research and clinical experiences in an overseas setting for a short period of time.