Abstract
In medical training curriculums at Japanese institutions of higher learning, diverse students (“students”) participate in “clinical practice,” which is the most important curriculum in their schooling. In clinical practice, students, educational institutions, and practical training facilities have their own positions, responsibilities, and challenges. Clinical practice is discussed and implemented among these three parties. Educational institutions and practical training facilities must closely collaborate with each other to enhance the students’ understanding, share information on students’ needs, and create an appropriate learning environment. As an example of cooperation, we introduce a training seminar for medical technologists who serve as clinical supervisors. The seminar is jointly sponsored by the Japanese Association of Medical Technologists and Japanese Association of Medical Technology Education. We also discuss the results of a questionnaire survey administered to those who participated in the group-work “understanding diverse students,” which was part of the seminar. The results indicated that the participants learned the meaning of disabilities, understood the need to accommodate and care for students, and considered how to accept and relate to diverse students. The participants were also struggling to cope with practical situations. Through this article, the author points out the significance of training seminars as a means of strengthening the cooperation between educational institutions and practical training facilities as students become increasingly diversified.
