Background: A nonprofit organization―the Supporting Center for Clinical Research and Education—has outsourced medical education to the Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine. The main targets of this education are researchers and developers in pharmaceutical and medical-equipment companies.
Method: Since 2004, the Supporting Center for Clinical Research and Education has provided short, intensive seminars on 25 subjects to 214 company employees. The key components of the seminars are lectures, practice, case conferences, interviews with patients, and comprehensive discussions.
Results: After each seminar was completed, it was evaluated with questionnaires filled out by participants. Participants expressed high levels of satisfaction with all components of the seminars, with interviews with patients being the most highly rated.
Conclusions: Medical educational activities for company employees have increased in recent years. These seminars are intended to provide short, intensive, small-group instruction to researchers and developers in pharmaceutical and medical-equipment companies with a goal of patient-centered medical practice based on a proper understanding of the actual condition of patients.

Background: Osaka University has introduced a new oral examination that evaluates comprehensive clinical competency. The purpose of this study was to clarify the characteristics of this examination.
Method: We compared the scores of this examination with those of other aßeßments: basic medicine, clinical medicine, computer–based testing （CBT）, objective structured clinical examination （OSCE）, and clinical clerkships.
Results: The Pearson correlation coefficient between this examination and other examinations was relatively low: basic medicine, 0.32; clinical medicine, 0.36; CBT, 0.44; OSCE, 0.39; and clinical clerkships, 0.24. Principal component analysis revealed that this examination could be grouped with OSCE and clinical clerkships, whereas basic medicine, clinical medicine and CBT could be grouped.
Conclusions: This new oral examination evaluates aspects of the examinees distinct from aspects evaluated by other examinations and could be an indicator of ability to solve clinical problems.

Background: In 2011, Osaka University abolished the paper–based final examination at the end of 6th year of medical school and introduced a new examination that evaluates comprehensive clinical competency after clinical training.
Method: For this examination, sequential scenarios were developed that demonstrate the process of problem solving in patient care. The examiners administered an oral test to students using the scenarios in the same manner as ward rounds and evaluated the clinical competency of students according to their attitudes, knowledge, and thinking.
Results: The examination was administered smoothly. Eighty–nine percent of examiners and 59% of students affirmed the significance of the examination in a questionnaire.
Discussion: Our reform of the final examination was met with acceptance, especially by examiners. To assess clinical competency more accurately, our next goal is to integrate performance–based assessment into the sequential scenarios..