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Dear medical students,

My name is Jeanne Lavaud. I am from Clermont-Ferrand University, France. At the end of my fourth year, I performed a clinical clerkship in Ob-Gyn at Kanazawa University Hospital, Kanazawa, Japan in July 2008. I was assigned to the Center for the Advancement of Pregnancy, Perinatal and Infant Care (CAPPIC).

The K-CAPPIC program is a good way to improve your knowledge of Obstetrics and Gynecology. I chose Option 1 shown on the CAPPIC website (Intensive Ob/Gyn/NICU Clerkship). This clerkship combines 2 weeks at Kanazawa University Hospital and 2 weeks at rural hospitals (Keiai and Keiju Hospitals).

This was a good opportunity for me to discover two different sides of Japanese medical practice. In summary, the first two weeks were very academic: I discovered Japanese medicine, observed how consultations are performed, and noted differences in operation room procedures compared to France. The last two weeks I was able to practice numerous clinical procedures: internal examinations, smear tests, and transvaginal and transabdominal ultrasonography, to name a few. For example, I was first trained on a simulator at the CAPPIC simulation center to do ultrasonography for pregnant women, then practiced by myself on real outpatients at Keiju Hospital. Due to excellent teaching, I can now say that at the end of my training, echo is not as complicated as I imagined before I arrived! I also assisted in a variety of operations such as C-sections, uterine prolapses, hysterectomies, ovarian cysts, etc., in addition (of course) to many deliveries.

Everywhere I went, I received a warm welcome. Each doctor I met was sincerely motivated to teach me, even though they had to do so in English! Everyone I met was really nice - doctors, students and patients!

I recommend this program if you want to enjoy a positive experience and stimulating training in Obstetrics and Gynecology in a warm atmosphere!

Jeanne Lavaud

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