The Exploring Health Care Program |
“Exploring Health Care was a very big influence
in my life. Exploring Health Care is living in my mind and will continue
to live in my mind. Thanks for the experience."
– 2004 Exploring
Health Care Participant
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Program Overview
Exploring Health Care is a two
week immersion program open to Keio, Tokyo, Tokyo Medical, Tokyo
Women’s Medical and Ehime Universities. The next
program will be held from March 21st to April 3rd, 2008. The program is
designed to give students hands-on opportunities to learn about
health care in California. During this program students will have
the chance to visit community clinics, hospitals and hospices in
the Bay Area, meet with HIV positive individuals, organ donor recipients,
and Stanford professors and doctors. Additional themes include medical
ethics from a cross-cultural perspective, cost and accessibility
of health care, women's health, biotechnology, the doctor-patient
relationship and international health policy. In addition, it is
often possible for participants to shadow doctors and other health
care professionals.
The Exploring Health Care program is also unique because it connects participants from Japanese medical schools with Stanford medical and pre-medical students. Japanese students will be able to see the American medical school experience through their eyes and will have an opportunity to discuss important issues with them. Five of these dedicated students will help guide you through the program. Japanese students will also have an opportunity to share their knowledge about Japan with them.
To learn more about the Exploring Health Care program, view the activity calendar from 2007. |
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Week 1: San Francisco
For the first week of the program, participants and the Stanford medical hosts will stay at a hotel in San Francisco's Union Square district. During this week, the group will visit Univeristy of California San Francisco (UCSF) Medical School, one of America's top five medical research institutions, where they will tour the hospital, go on rounds with physicians, and engage in discussions with UCSF medical students. While in San Francisco, the group will also visit a number of clinics specializing in different areas of health care, such as HIV/AIDS treatment and health care services for the homeless. Participants will also have an opportunity to explore the city's many attractions with their Stanford hosts. |
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Week 2: Stanford University
Following the week in San Francisco, the participants and hosts will move to Stanford University for the remainder of the program. Some highlights from the group's week at Stanford include touring Stanford's campus and medical center, discussing Medical Ethics case studies with Stanford medical students, and meeting with a variety of faculty members from Stanford University to talk about their areas of expertise.
Take a virtual tour of Stanford's campus! |
The 2006 Stanford Medical Hosts' visit to Japan |
Stanford Host Trip to Japan
The five Stanford students will visit the Japanese students in Japan in the summer following the program. Primarily this will be a social visit, but the Stanford students will also have the chance to learn about the Japanese health care system through the Japanese students' experience and guidance. |
The Exploring Healthcare 10th Anniversary reunion party in Tokyo, 2005 |
Cost
¥450,000, which covers:
- Airfare (¥83,000) & Fuel surcharge (¥34,000)
- Accommodation
- Half of your meals
- Activity fees
- Transportation fees
- VIA staff services
The program fee does NOT cover medical insurance. All participants are REQUIRED to purchase medical insurance before participating in the program
To Apply
Click here to visit the application page. |
Information Meeting Schedule for 2007
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Resources
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Contact Information
For more information about this program, please contact Abby McDaniel at abby@viaprograms.org
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