1.How Do Healthcare Professionals Transform Their Learning and Understanding of Interprofessional Communication in Clinical Practice? A Qualitative Study Informed by Communities of Practice
Miyuki TAKAHASHI ; Chihiro KAWAKAMI ; Kaho HAYAKAWA ; Rintaro IMAFUKU ; Takuya SAIKI
Medical Education 2026;57(1):7-12
Background: The processes through which healthcare professionals learn interprofessional communication and develop related perceptions remain insufficiently understood. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight healthcare professionals with over 10 years of experience. Transcripts were analyzed thematically, and changes in learning and perception were examined using the framework of communities of practice. Results: Four themes emerged regarding learning processes: (1) observing colleagues, (2) engaging in conversations to learn patient care from other professions, (3) collaborating while mutually understanding professional roles, and (4) practicing collaborative care while maintaining professional responsibilities. Regarding perceptions, four themes were identified: (5) tools for accurate information sharing, (6) tools for fostering mutual understanding, (7) tools for enabling teams to achieve common goals, and (8) competencies essential for healthcare professionals. Conclusion: Findings suggest that as experienced professionals deepen their participation in communities of practice, interprofessional communication evolves through a process of reinterpreting prior experiences and understandings, leading to gradual transformation and reconstruction of learning and perceptions.
2.Motives for Japanese Medical Students' Choice of Profession and How They Correlate to Students’ Backgrounds
Yasuyuki SUZUKI ; Koji TSUNEKAWA ; Yuko TAKEDA ; Chihiro KAWAKAMI ; Rintaro IMAFUKU ; Kaho HAYAKAWA ; Takuya SAIKI
Medical Education 2025;56(1):1-10
Objective: To clarify the characteristics of medical students' motives for choosing their profession.Methods: A nationwide, cross-sectional, quantitative web survey was conducted using the Profession Choice Motivation Scale for Education Students. Results: Valid responses were obtained from 1,804 medical students, and the applicability of this scale was demonstrated. Medical students considered "contribution to others," "fulfillment in the profession and studying medicine," "financial aspects," and "evaluation by others" to be important, while "mental and physical comfort" was deemed less important. Mean scores for "contribution to others" were significantly higher among female students, public medical school students, students attending their first- or second-choice medical schools, regional quota students, public high school graduates, and first-generation college students. Conversely, students with very low scores for "contribution to others" showed opposite demographic backgrounds. Discussion: The Profession Choice Motivation Scale for Education Students was applicable to the analysis of medical students, and a correlation was observed between demographic backgrounds and profession choice motives.
4.Transforming Medical Students' Perceptions Through a Self-Regulated Learning-Driven Emergency Medicine Clerkship Model
Chiemi HAMADA ; Chihiro KAWAKAMI ; Rintaro IMAFUKU ; Osamu NOMURA ; Ken OTSUJI ; Takuya SAIKI
Medical Education 2025;56(3):149-159
Background: Clinical clerkship training does not always provide an ideal environment for self-regulated learning (SRL) among medical students, and how students manage their learning during this period remains unclear. This study aims to explore how medical students perceive their SRL during clinical clerkship training in the emergency medicine department. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 28 fifth-year medical students at University A. Thematic analysis was performed using the SRL cyclical model as a theoretical framework. Results: Eight themes were identified, including the emergence of professional identity through clinical training, the flexible selection of learning goals and tools in uncertain environments, and the appropriate planning of next-day goals and learning strategies through dialogue. Discussion: The findings suggest that dialogue with colleagues, participation in team-based care, and clerkship structures grounded in the cyclical SRL model positively influence the transformation of students' perceptions of SRL.
6.Developing Change Agents in Health Professions Education: A Needs Assessment for a Practice-Based Program Grounded in Systems and Design Thinking
Chihiro KAWAKAMI ; Osamu NOMURA ; Kaho HAYAKAWA ; Miyuki TAKAHASHI ; Minami KIHARA ; Yuka URUSHIBARA-MIYACHI ; Takuya SAIKI
Medical Education 2025;56(6):373-378
This study aimed to identify new competencies for an educational program designed to cultivate the ability to improve health professions education from an overview and interactive perspective, in response to its increasing complexity. At the Center for Medical Education Development, Gifu University, a competency framework was drafted based on systems thinking, design thinking, and adaptive leadership. A questionnaire survey was conducted to assess the needs of potential participants. The survey targeted 138 medical university staff members who attended the 91st Medical Education Seminar. Multiple regression analysis revealed that willingness to participate was significantly associated with being a healthcare professional and having strong motivation for collaborative improvement. Based on these findings, four competencies were identified: (1) organizational analysis, (2) problem evaluation, (3) improvement design, and (4) collaborative improvement. This study introduces a marketing-informed perspective into FD/SD development, offering a learner-centered approach to educational design and highlighting the importance of collaboration between healthcare professionals and administrative staff in driving educational reform.
7.Perception of Citizens and Health Professions Educators Towards the Socioeconomic Backgrounds of Medical Students in Japan
Yasuyuki SUZUKI ; Koji TSUNEKAWA ; Yuko TAKEDA ; Chihiro KAWAKAMI ; Kaho HAYAKAWA ; Rintaro IMAFUKU ; Takuya SAIKI
Medical Education 2024;55(3):217-227
Objective: Perceptions of citizens and health professions educators towards the socioeconomic backgrounds of medical students were investigated to elucidate the challenges of selecting medical students who will be responsible for the future of healthcare in Japan.Methods: Ten focus groups, comprising 14 citizens and 26 health professions educators, were conducted regarding the presented information on the socioeconomic backgrounds of Japanese medical students. Data were analyzed using an inductive thematic analysis approach.Results: Six themes related to family backgrounds, such as higher economic status, five themes related to social backgrounds, such as social and educational disparity, and four themes related to expectations for medical education, such as selection of medical students with diverse backgrounds were extracted.Discussion: Both citizens and health professions educators were aware of the problem of the skewed socioeconomic backgrounds of medical students and the need to expand diversity. This finding will contribute to the reconsideration of future medical school admission criteria.
8.Preliminary Study of Awareness and Need for Keywords Related to Supporting Students with Disabilities Among Medical Educators
Ryo HORITA ; Yoko SETOYAMA ; Chihiro KAWAKAMI
Medical Education 2024;55(3):229-233
The purpose of this study was to identify keywords medical educators should learn for their teaching and support. An anonymous web-based survey was conducted with 92 university faculty members and clinical supervisors. The participants were asked about their awareness and need for the 14 items related to support for students with disabilities. The items with below-average awareness and above-average need were “reasonable accommodation,” “educational considerations,” “self-understanding,” “support methods in clinical practice,” and “privacy and confidentiality” . Based on the results of this study, it is desirable to create video materials that can be studied on demand to promote understanding and awareness. This would contribute to the improvement of the qualities and skills of those who support learning and to the development of the standard of medical education.
9.Detailed Discussion 1. What Is Social-Emotional Learning?
Chihiro KAWAKAMI ; Rintaro IMAFUKU ; Kaho HAYAKAWA ; Ryo HORITA ; Miyuki TAKAHASHI ; Ritsuki TAKAHA ; Kazuhiko FUJISAKI ; Takuya SAIKI
Medical Education 2024;55(4):301-308
In recent years, non-cognitive abilities have garnered attention, and their significance is attributed to overall well-being. Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is an educational program specifically focused on the social and emotional aspects of non-cognitive abilities. The domains of SEL are divided into self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. These can be incorporated into various educational settings, including classroom instruction and extracurricular activities. While SEL is primarily introduced in elementary education, non-cognitive abilities remain crucial for higher education and professional training as they both learners and educators.
10.Detailed Discussion 5. Various Practices in Medical Educational Institutions and Healthcare Institutions -Emotional Intelligence (EI) and Leadership-
Rieko FUJIE ; Chihiro KAWAKAMI ; Takuya SAIKI
Medical Education 2024;55(4):335-341
This article examines the role of the noncognitive ability, Emotional Intelligence (EI), in leadership. As the complexity of tasks required of teams expands, leaders are increasingly expected to play a role in supporting followers in demonstrating their own abilities. For this reason, a leader’s attitude toward followers is important and rooted in EI. There are five elements of EI: “Self-awareness,” “Self-regulation,” “Motivation,” “Empathy,” and “Social skills.” Being able to recognize “Self-awareness” leads to “Self-regulation” and “Motivation.” At the same time, “Self-awareness” also moves from “Empathy” to “Social skills.” In this paper, the cultivation of EI is also discussed.


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