The importance of cooperation among the staffs of various medical specialties has been recognized.However, medical students have little chance to study with students of other specialties.We planned and held an interdisciplinary freshman seminar based on problem-based group learning for health science students.
1) All freshmen entering the Shinshu University School of Medicine were divided into 20 groups and participated in a group-learning program.
2) Students watched video material focusing on medical communication and were asked to investigate and discuss this issue in greater detail to deepen their understanding.
3) Questionnaires filled out by students after the course revealed that most students were satisfied with the program because they could deepen their partnership with students of other specialties but were unsatisfied with the program's tight schedule and the inefficiency of discussions.
4) Many instructors felt that the number of students in each group (12 or 13) was too large for effective group discussion.
5) This program helped students understand the importance of communication in medicine but did not encourage students to study for themselves.

1) Medical students and students of the teacher-training course at Shinshu University were compared regarding their knowledge and understanding of heredity and genetics.
2) Medical students' were better able to recognize terms related to genetics than were students of the teacher-training course, although medical students'understanding was not always correct.In both groups understanding was not related to whether the student had studied biology in high school.
3) A standardized education system for clinical genetics for medical students is urgently needed in Japan.

  Pretests and posttests in the field of preventive medicine and public health were administered to third–year medical students of Shinshu University School of Medicine. This study aimed to determine whether pretest scores or posttest scores correlated with the term–end examination scores.
1）Pretests and posttests were administered 7 times to 112 third–year medical students, and the term–end examination was given in the first semester of the 2010 academic year.
2）Correlations were determined between pretest scores, posttest scores, the difference between pretest and posttest scores, and term–end examination scores. In addition, students were divided into quartiles in accordance with the pretest scores, and the posttest and term–end examination scores were compared among these quartiles.
3）The pretest scores significantly correlated with the posttest and term–end examination scores. The posttest and term–end examination scores were significantly higher in the fourth quartile（the highest pretest score quartile）than in the first quartile（the lowest pretest score quartile）.
4）The posttest scores did not correlate with the term–end examination scores.
5）Thus, we concluded that the pretest score rather than the posttest score is a useful predictor of the term–end examination score.

1) In 2004, Shinshu University School of Medicine started a program for third-year medical students to experience nursing services during both the day and night shifts. The program included lectures on nursing sciences before practice and debriefing sessions after practice.2) Most students viewed this program favorably and felt that the night-shift training was particular meaningful. They also had favorable opinions about the nurses who taught them.3) Some practical issues remain to be solved, such as security during the night shift and the possible excessive burden upon nurses.