2026 Volume 60 Issue 1 Pages 199-210
Internationalization of medical treatment has presented communication issues among foreign patients and healthcare providers. Many have experienced stress in having to use English in attending patients. Meanwhile, there have been calls to reorganize English education for pre-graduates in Medicine and Dentistry. From our previous needs survey at the start of the school year, first year dental hygiene students wish to obtain communication skills to respond to foreign patients. In order to clarify the educational significance of practical training in English designed from student needs, we conducted “Practical Training Using Self-Prepared Original English Conversation Scripts for Alginate Impression Taking." From student evaluations of the session and feedback concerning changes in their awareness toward English, the student's English proficiency increased, particularly in pronunciation and confidence in using technical terms. The session also improved motivation to communicate with foreign patients. The practical nature of the training session led to satisfaction and realization of its importance. There were, however, not a few strong opinions concerning the timing of holding the training session. Hence, as a common issue among institutions for educating medical professionals, appropriate scheduling is required taking into account the national board examination. (J Osaka Dent Univ 2026; 60: 199-210)
