The purpose of our lectures on “Igaku-gairon” as a series of medical education is to consider “ What is the medicine?”, “What is the medical treatment?”, “How should the doctor be?”, and “What should be learned at the medical school?”.
Each group of the students consider “What should the doctor be?”, thus selecting the theme. The students in each group inquire into the theme, present the results thus obtained and discuss each other as a form of workshop. The teachers give some comments to supplement and amend the students' opinions, thus leading the workshop. While having these lectures, the students make a model committee on the ethics of medicine, watch videofilms showing patients in the vegetable state and those in the terminal stage of cancer, being sentensed as having cancer, and organize symposia on medicine on death problems including terminal care.
On the other hand, as a early clinical exposue, the students, wearing eyemasks and getting on the wheelchair, experience the handicapped, or help such model patients. They also do some practice to help the severely mentally and physically disabled persons at the institutes, escort the outpatients at the university hospital and do the nurse practice as assistance of nurses at the ward.
It is important for the students to think and experience a variety of medical problems by themselves, being motivated to learn medicine and treatment and not to be given lectures by the teachers passively.