Heya I’m a medical student from Australia looking to do a 4-week elective in a Japanese university hospital sometime in December ’24 -> January ’25.
I’ve visited Japan a few times but I don’t speak Japanese unfortunately which I’m a bit worried about. I’m open to anywhere within Japan.
Does anyone have any information or experience about medical school electives in Japan and how much the language barrier may play a part? Thank you!
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3 comments
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**Australian medical student interested in medical elective in Japan**
Heya I’m a medical student from Australia looking to do a 4-week elective in a Japanese university hospital sometime in December ’24 -> January ’25.
I’ve visited Japan a few times but I don’t speak Japanese unfortunately which I’m a bit worried about. I’m open to anywhere within Japan.
Does anyone have any information or experience about medical school electives in Japan and how much the language barrier may play a part? Thank you!
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You’d probably be best to ask your uni. I’ve had a couple mates in med who’ve been to Japan and done some electives there. I reckon ask your cohort or just people into ur uni.
Iirc some places require Japanese and some done. I’ve had one friend who’s done it without any Japanese and the other I’m pre sure is pretty fluent.
Imoen, is that you?
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VcLHYYhQtk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VcLHYYhQtk)
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But for real, I’m not in the medical field but from what my experience is in engineering I can share from what I know and have gathered doing a quick search.
Many Japanese universities and hospitals do accept foreign medical students for clinical observerships and rotations. Electives typically range from 2-8 weeks during the winter or summer breaks. English curriculum programs are opening up more opportunities lately.
While Japanese language skills are helpful for daily life, most academic hospitals can provide translator support when needed for medical activities. English fluency varies across specialties though.
Applying for electives can take planning 6-12 months in advance, especially if you need help arranging housing/logistics. Reach out to your school’s study abroad office and directly contact hospitals’ education departments simultaneously.
Be flexible with location and department. Competition for limited rotation spots is high, so have backup options. Consider splitting time between two sites. Expectations as a visitor should focus more on shadowing and observation than hands-on work.