Evaluation of a Medical School for Rural Doctors

Abstract

The goal of JMS to produce rural doctors in Japan has made an impact on doctor distribution nationwide.

Characteristics of medical students with rural origin: Implications for selective admission policies

“…Its mission is to produce rural doctors and distribute them nationwide. The JMU system and its outcomes have already been described in past literature [1,15]. JMU annually recruits two or three high-school graduates from each prefecture, resulting in a total 100-110 entrants.…”

“…In the 6th year, they are eligible to complete an elective rural internship. In addition, the JMS prefecturers' union (a mutual help organization composed of students and graduates of the same prefecture) of each prefecture invites JMS students to experience rural practice through summer internship programs [15].…”

Medical education program with obligatory rural service: Analysis of factors associated with obligation compliance

“…Although most of the public medical schools in Japan are managed by either the national or a prefectural government, JMU was founded by the Ministry of Home Affairs and has financially been managed by the pooled funds collected equally from all the 47 prefectures in Japan. Its mission is to produce rural doctors and distribute them nationwide; JMU is the only medical school for this purpose in Japan [11,17,18]. JMU annually recruits two or three high-school graduates from each prefecture, resulting in a total of 100-110 entrants.…”

“…Experienced rural practitioners deliver lectures on the provision of primary medical care in rural areas. Students spend substantial periods in a rural practice in their home prefectures [11,18].…”

“…The students therefore pay no tuition or school fees for the entire 6 years at the JMS. The 6-year undergraduate program at JMS is tailored to train its students for rural practice [18]. Experienced rural practitioners deliver lectures on the provision of primary medical care in rural areas.…”