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Clinical Observership Program見学型実習

General Information

The Clinical Observership Program at Dokkyo Medical University (DMU) is an observational experience that offers the opportunity to observe outpatient clinics, ward rounds, surgeries, laboratories, and conferences.

Application Information:

Applicants should review the requirements and precautions to see whether they can apply.

1. Eligibility:
Only students currently enrolled in a medical school are eligible to apply.
Applicants must meet one of the following criteria:

  • At least 4th-year students in a 5- or 6-year medical program
  • At least 3rd-year students in a 4-year medical program
Capacity: A maximum of three clinical observers at one time.

2. Department Information:
Information about the clinical departments that may accept observers can be found at the link below. Please review the list to learn more about their areas of practice:
https://www.dokkyomed.ac.jp/dmu/english/overview/department/
Please note that availability varies depending on the department.

3. Program Schedule:
The standard observership consists of five days per week (Monday–Friday). The minimum duration of the program is two weeks, and the maximum duration is eight weeks. Please note that participants are not permitted to take personal vacations or extended private leave during the observership period. All observers are expected to attend the program continuously for the entire duration of their approved period. Requests for multi-day absences cannot be accommodated.

3a. Application Periods and Program Periods:
For programs held in June–September 2026 → Apply between September–December 2025
For programs held in October 2026–January 2027 → Apply between January–April 2026
For programs held in February–May 2027 → Apply between May–August 2026
For programs held in June–September 2027 → Apply between September–December 2026
For programs held in October 2027–January 2028 → Apply between January–April 2027
Applicants will be notified of the result within a month after the end of the application period, with preference given to students from our partner universities in cases of multiple applications for the same period; please note that if your university requires a letter of acceptance by a specific deadline, we can only provide it after the close of the application period.

3b. Unavailable Periods:
Please note that we are unable to accept participants during the following periods:
• March 2- May 8, 2026
• December 21, 2026- January 8, 2027
• March 1 - May 7, 2027
• December 20, 2027 – January 7, 2028

Application Process:

Required:
Application Form
"Letter of Recommendation"
Academic Transcript

Conditional Required:
Proof of English Proficiency
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First Screening
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Complete Immunization Requirements
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Final decision making
Issue "Letter of acceptance"
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Apply for visa
Obtain Transportation tickets
Reserve Housing
(Obtain Health insurance)

  1. Submitting the required documents:
    2. Applicants must submit the online application form along with the following documents: A
    • Letter of Recommendation
    • Academic Transcript
    • Proof of English Proficiency (required if your medical education is not conducted in English)
  2. Initial Screening:
    3. After the end of the application period, all applications will undergo an initial screening.
  3. Notification of Screening Results:
    4. Applicants will be notified of the results after the initial screening.
  4. Submission of Additional Documents:
    5. Applicants who are preliminarily accepted will be required to submit proof of immunization.
  5. Final Acceptance:
    6. Preliminarily accepted applicants will receive an official acceptance letter.

Personal Health Insurance:

  • Applicants do not need to submit proof of insurance but may acquire insurance after being accepted.
  • Accepted applicants should acquire personal health insurance and may want to acquire liability insurance for their stay in Japan.
  • Those who arrive in Japan without health insurance will be responsible for all their medical costs.
  • DMU will not be responsible for any expenses clinical observers may incur.
  • Applicants showing signs and symptoms of COVID-19 during their stay will be treated under the same protocol as our university students. We will arrange the appropriate test for you, and you will be required to cover the testing fee yourself.

Proof of Immunization:

Proof of Immunization: Applicants are required to meet the immunization requirements specified in the Immunization Criteria. Immunization records must be reported on the Immunization Status Report Form and submitted for measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, tuberculosis, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. Please note that immunization records will be collected only after applicants have been preliminarily accepted. If an applicant fails to submit the required proof of immunization, their preliminary acceptance will be revoked.

Visa:

  1. Clinical observers will need to apply for a short-term visa to enter Japan.
  2. Short-term visa exemptions are available for nationals whose country meets the qualifications listed on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) website.
  3. Applicants who do not have a visa exemption will need to go to the Japanese Embassy or Consulate in their country to apply for a visa.
  4. Clinical observers from countries without a visa exemption agreement with Japan can contact the IE, DMU for information regarding the required short-term visa forms.

Housing:

  1. DMU has a limited number of dormitory spaces available for clinical observers.
  2. The dormitory (a private room with bath and toilet) is available to participants at a rate of 2,500 yen per night.
  3. There is an on-campus hotel associated with DMU on Campus. A single room with breakfast costs a minimum of 6,000 yen per night, with rates varying depending on the season.

Program Fees and Expenses:

There is no program fee for the Clinical Observership Program. However, please note that a facility and equipment usage fee of 6,000 yen may be charged per four-week period.
Clinical observers are responsible for their own transportation and personal expenses.
Please note that Dokkyo Medical University does not provide any financial aid for the Clinical Observership Program.

Precautions regarding cancelation after acceptance:

We kindly ask all applicants to apply with full seriousness and commitment. Once a student has been accepted into our program, significant time and resources are devoted to processing their application and preparing their participation. Therefore, please be aware that if a student cancels their participation after receiving official acceptance from our university, we will be obliged to issue a formal letter of complaint to their home university. In addition, to protect the integrity of our program, we may suspend applications from that university for several years.
We encourage all students to carefully consider their schedules, responsibilities, and commitments before applying. By doing so, you not only respect the efforts of our staff but also ensure that opportunities remain available for other students who are eager to participate.

Contact

If you would like to apply for the observership or have any questions regarding the program, please contact us using the link below.
https://dept.dokkyomed.ac.jp/dep-m/ie/contact.html

The Division for International Exchange
Dokkyo Medical University

 



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