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.

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.

The role of academic journals evolves with the times. Academic publishing is diversifying, shifting from traditional paper-based formats to broader dissemination through open access. In response to these developments-and to contribute to ongoing progress in medical education-Medical Education (Japan) has undertaken a comprehensive revision of its submission guidelines. As of January 17, 2025, all submissions, peer reviews, and editorial processes are being conducted in accordance with the updated guidelines.　The Editorial Board convened a round-table discussion to explore recent developments, beginning with the revision of the submission guidelines. This discussion elaborates on the journal's role and its relevance to the academic community, including society members, authors, and readers. It features statements from participating editorial committee members and highlights the key issues discussed, including the criteria each member uses to evaluate manuscripts. The aim is to offer insight into the journal's editorial stance and decision-making process.

Background : Health Advocacy (HA) is an important competency for physicians, but education in this area remains underdeveloped in Japan. This study aimed to qualitatively analyze the educational effects of the Child Advocacy Training (CHAT) program designed for pediatric residents in Japan and to derive implications for future educators.　Methods : Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six pediatric residents who participated in all sessions of CHAT after program completion. The obtained transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis.　Results : Three categories and 12 themes were extracted : “Deepening of Conceptual Understanding,” “Expansion and Quality Improvement of Practice Content,” and “Expansion of Considerations for Practice Environment.” Participants demonstrated long-term understanding of HA concepts, acquired the ability to systematically combine HA methods, and developed changes in their practical environment. Additionally, they gained perspectives on educational recall and educational expansion.　Discussion : Through CHAT learning, participants not only acquired superficial HA knowledge and skills but were also confirmed to engage in self-reflection and form new values or reconstruct existing ones, suggesting the possibility that CHAT promotes the experiential learning cycle.　Conclusion : The CHAT program may promote awareness and behavioral transformation related to the HA role and serve as a foundation for developing practical HA competencies through experiential learning cycles.

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.

Objective: To determine the socio-economic and educational backgrounds of first-generation college students (FGCs) among Japanese medical students, with the aim of contributing to the improvement of medical school admissions.　Methods: A nationwide cross-sectional online questionnaire survey was conducted. A total of 1,849 medical students and 295 nursing students participated.　Results: The proportion of FGCs among medical students was 12.1%, lower than that among nursing students (39.4%). The backgrounds of FGCs were compared with those of non-FGCs (students whose parents were university graduates). FGCs were more likely to come from small cities and from outside the Kanto/Kansai regions. They reported lower annual family incomes and had fewer doctors or dentists among their relatives. FGCs attended cram schools less frequently, were more likely to have graduated from national or public high schools, and had higher academic grades. They applied exclusively to national or public medical schools, were more likely to take regional quota or recommended AO entrance examinations, passed these exams immediately after high school graduation, and were more often enrolled in their first-choice and national or public medical schools. FGCs also expressed a stronger intention to work in less-populated areas in the future.　Discussion: The backgrounds of FGCs differ significantly from those of non-FGCs. Further investigation into the challenges and potential of FGCs in medicine is warranted.

In health professions education in the 21st century, there is a need to move toward a third-generation educational practice oriented toward the transformation of healthcare and social systems. However, few examples of the development of such an educational model have been reported. In the context of community-based health professions education-where universities, governments, and hospitals are attempting to co-create a new type of health professions education, we have developed an educational model grounded in the principles of third-generation health professions education, including problem inquiry and interdisciplinarity. It is a project- and inquiry-based learning model that suggests the possibility for second-year medical students to contribute to social change, however small, through their proactive involvement in the inquiring, investigating, and proposing solutions to local problems. Further dissemination and validation of this model, which embodies the philosophy of third-generation health professions education, are anticipated.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the socioeconomic backgrounds of medical students who intend to practice in less-populated areas.METHODS: A nationwide online questionnaire survey was conducted among 1,822 Japanese medical students (1,024 from public universities and 798 from private universities) across 40 medical schools.RESULTS: Regarding preferred future practice locations, 25.2% of students intended to work in areas with populations over 1,000,000; 36.8% in areas with 200,000-1,000,000; 17.2% in areas with 50,000-200,000; and 4.8% in areas with fewer than 50,000 residents. Students who intended to work in less-populated areas (population >200,000) were more likely to have grown up in such areas, come from families with lower annual incomes, have fewer physician parents, have graduated from public high schools, and be enrolled in regional quota programs. Logistic regression analysis identified having a family background in a less-populated area (OR 9.46) and enrollment in a regional quota program (OR 2.72) as significant predictors of the intention to work in less-populated areas.DISCUSSION: There is a correlation between medical students’ intentions to work in less-populated areas and their socioeconomic backgrounds, which are important factors to consider when addressing the uneven distribution of physicians in Japan.

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.