Isaac Neal Roehさん

In 2026, I had the pleasure of traveling to Japan and learning from the wonderful mentors and students at Hyogo Medical University. This was my first international program so I was very nervous and excited with how novel of an experience this would be. Initially, I was worried about the language barrier but the doctors, students, and staff were very accommodating and made me feel welcome from the very start. I became friends with several of the students from my group who spoke English and we eventually became close enough to exchange common and funny phrases with each other. Some of the doctors were very kind and offered excellent recommendations for events and locations to have a great time. One of the mentors even went as far as to travel with me to a famous shrine and explain some of the culture and its significance throughout history. These experiences were immensely meaningful to me as it showed how they cared to teach me not only about medicine but the culture and people of Japan.

I was accepted to study in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and with Pediatric Surgery which provided valuable exposure to many different disease processes and team dynamics. I finished my pediatric rotation in America before traveling to Japan which afforded me a fresh perspective to compare the similarities and differences in NICU diseases and treatments. Even though I was still a student, the doctors treated my questions with respect and even printed out research articles that they were especially passionate about teaching. They also showed great interest in learning about what I saw and learned about while in America and explaining the rationale on why some treatments are different in Japan. This attention to detail and commitment to patients is something that left a great impression within me and is an ideal I want to cultivate further throughout my career.

I was nervous to begin the pediatric surgery rotation as I thought the language barrier might become more evident during those situations but we were lucky to have several doctors and students within my group that were studying English for personal interests and were able to translate very well. I had seen many orthopedic surgeries in America which made me comfortable being in the operating room at Hyogo Medical University even though the surgeries they performed were none that I had seen before. I was surprised to learn that the role of Physician’s Assistant does not exist in Japan. There are simply additional doctors in the operating room to assist with the procedure. I frequently observed surgeries with 2-3 surgeons discussing and operating with each other. I think this is extremely valuable for everyone involved since the surgeons have additional opinions to help them with decision making and reduce the physical tax on the body over years of surgery. This also gave the students an opportunity to ask surgeons questions without slowing down the surgery or fear of interrupting the lead surgeon’s train of thought which accomplishes better student training and safer patient outcomes.

I had the opportunity to take time off of medical school and travel through many of the prefectures between Osaka and Hokkaido before starting the program at Hyogo Medical University. While traveling through Japan, the people I met shared wonderful stories and a willingness to show kindness to a foreigner far from my home. Sharing stories of my childhood growing up in a small town in Alaska resonated with many of the people in Hokkaido and Northern Honshu. This was a pleasant surprise for everyone and sparked a deeper understanding and appreciation of the common experiences that
transcend our cultural differences. Over the course of several weeks, the social norms in Japan became more obvious and easier to follow which helped immensely with the transition to studying at Hyogo Medical University. If at all possible, I recommend spending some time in Japan traveling before working in the hospital as it provides more context to how societal and personal differences affect everyone involved in the healthcare system.

In addition to my personal observations, it was fascinating to discuss differences in the medical culture between America and Japan with the students and doctors. The NICU doctors talked about how much more hands-on they are with the daily procedures and labs compared to America where many of the tasks are performed by nurses or healthcare specialists. This gave them more responsibility for the patients while also increasing their workload during their shift but also decreased the amount of miscommunication about orders and procedures for the patients. The students remarked about how American students are required to complete a university degree before attending an additional 4 years in medical school as their medical school is a total of 6 years immediately following graduation from high school. We also discussed how American students are expected to interact and perform physical exams much more with the patients during medical school compared to Japanese students who are trained more during residency.

The highlight of my experience was making friends with the medical students and exploring the local cities together. During the rotations we often ate lunch together and went sight seeing around the local prefectures. Some of the places we saw were the zoo, beach, botanical gardens, shrines, local bands, and famous landmarks. One day they made a chocolate cheese cake and brought it to share during our lunch break. I consider many of them friends that will last a lifetime and look forward to meeting up with them in the future whether in America or Japan.

Lastly, I want to express my gratitude to everyone that made this experience so pleasant and impactful for all those involved. There was incredible work on all ends from the Center for International Exchange, University of Washington, and Hyogo Medical University that came together to make this possible for many students in the past and hopefully even more students in the future. I hope to keep in touch with the many friends and mentors I made during this trip and visit them again when I return to Japan.