To evaluate medical education at Kochi Medical School, a questionnaire survey was performed to assess the ability of residents who had graduated from Kochi Medical School.This project was managed by the Associate-Professor's Society of Kochi Medical School.1) Two preceptors (an internist and a surgeon) at each of 148 postgraduate clinical training hospitals other than Kochi Medical School Hospital were asked to answer a questionnaire concerning the objective or relative assessment of residents who had graduated from Kochi Medical School.
2) Of the 108 questionnaires received from preceptors, 93 were considered to include effective assessments of residents who had graduated from Kochi Medical School.
3) Twenty-one preceptors noted a deficiency of knowledge concerning community medicine.In addition, more than 15% of preceptors noted insufficient skills in performing laboratory examinations and making diagnoses with X-ray fi lms.In contrast, most preceptors were satisfied with skills in interviewing and performing physical examinations.
4) Most preceptors judged residents who had graduated from Kochi Medical School to be superior to those who had graduated from other schools, whereas 8 preceptors thought that our graduates were inferior at acquiring medical knowledge or skills.
5) Most preceptors encouraged residents from Kochi Medical School to be positive.

A consensus meeting on autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) was held in Seoul on August 31, 2007. Many Korean and Japanese gastroenterologist interested in AIP participated in the joint symposium, and issues related to histology, radiology, clinical manifestation, serology, and diagnostic criteria were discussed. This joint meeting indicated the need for unified diagnostic criterion for AIP in Korea and Japan. Here, we provide a summary of the symposium presentations and discussions.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Consensus ; Humans ; Japan ; Joints ; Korea ; Pancreatitis