| Name | Rikita Miyamura | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home University | University of Sydney | |||
| Faculty/School | School of Medicine | |||
| Program Dates | From | January 5, 2026 | To | January 30, 2026 |
Gday! My name is Riki, and I am a 4th year medical student at the University of Sydney. My parents are both Japanese, but I was born and raised in Australia. I had the great privilege and honour to be the first ever from my university (and from Australia as a whole) to take part in OMPU’s clinical clerkship program.
Overall, I had a fantastic time during the four weeks, which included many valuable experiences and interesting learnings. I was fortunate to be able to spend time in three different departments, which was wonderful in gaining a broader perspective.
In Gynaecology and Oncology, I was able to observe many surgeries, including a partial radical hysterectomy, and a rare, retained placenta following childbirth. I also enjoyed observation of clinics, in which I noticed a larger proportion of cervical cancer patients than I had seen in Australia. Next, I spent time in the Radiology department, together with another international student from National Taiwan University. This was the week that really highlighted Japan’s amazing research and technology, such as the emerging KORTUC-II radiation sensitiser, a new model of linear accelerator, and of course, OMPU’s famous BNCT centre, which was one of the highlights of my placement. I am considering radiation oncology in the future, and I would love to return one day to learn even more about the BNCT and its progress.
Finally, I spent two weeks at the General Medicine department, which was the most challenging part of the placement, but also the most rewarding. Due to OMPU being a renowned University Hospital, the General Medicine department featured many complex, difficult to diagnose patients, which required much discussion during paper rounds and ward rounds. I was also given a patient to practice looking after and write notes on a daily basis, which greatly helped to develop my skills. I was impressed by the department’s integration of medical students into their everyday practice, and conversely, the OMPU medical students’ professionalism and involvement. A shoutout to the famous ward rounds with the Professor, in which the whole department came along as a big group!
One of my main goals coming to OMPU was to appreciate what the Japanese health and hospital systems did differently to that of Australia. Many aspects were quite similar; we are both relatively wealthy countries, with robust, patient-centred health systems, and a fairly similar array of diseases and epidemiology. However, one of the most obvious differences to me was that the Japanese health insurance system seemed to have some loopholes and problems that are not so apparent in Australia. I lack the knowledge to elaborate further or form an opinion, but I heard about this a few times, and is something I would like to explore further.
On a personal level, I of course had a great time travelling around Japan, but I also enjoyed the opportunity to live in Japan for an extended period, which I had never done before. This included staying with my extended family for longer, experiencing the long Japanese commute, and improving my Japanese language skills. As a person of fully Japanese background, these are things that I am glad to have been able to achieve.
At the end of the day, what made this experience so special was all the amazing people that I met along the way. The staff at the Global Center were amazing to work with, always available and willing to help. The doctors at all three of my rotations were very keen to teach and went to great lengths to help me understand difficult concepts despite my limited knowledge of Japanese medical terminology. Similarly, the OMPU medical students, both at General Medicine, and at the Global Center events, were super helpful, and always made us international students so welcome.
It was only a four-week period, but it was a very fruitful one, in which I learned a great deal of medical knowledge, learned many things about Japan, and met so many incredible people. I want to thank everyone involved for making this placement possible, and for making it such an unforgettable experience.
みなさん！本当にありがとうございました！
Rikita Miyamura