Home > School of Medicine

Introduction to the School of Medicine

Develop Experts Dedicated to the Welfare of Humankind

The School of Medicine was founded in 1917, inviting Dr. Shibazaburo Kitasato as the first dean. While being a world-class microbiologist, Dr. Kitasato is also known, since his youth, to have put importance on medical practice accessible to ordinary citizen. He made every effort to establish the School of Medicine at Keio University to show his gratitude to Yukichi Fukuzawa, founder of Keio Gijuku, from whom he had once received great support.

The educational policies of the School of Medicine are as follows:
Nurture students with an independent mindset, decent personality and profound intelligence;
Enable students to make decisions based on strict ethical standards; and
Educate students to dedicate themselves to the development/betterment of human welfare through life-long studies and practice of medical science.

Early Exposure Program (EEP)

Our six-year undergraduate course provides opportunities to students from their first year to experience actual medical settings under the 'Early Exposure Program (EEP)'. Under this program, students go through training as 'nursing apprentices' at various health care facilities. Facing real issues and challenges on the medical care scene, students are expected to get prepared at a relatively early stage for studies on medicine (which often include rigid training ) and raise morale for their future professional career.

Unique Curriculum to Develop Research Abilities

One of the School's traditional educational policies is to help all students, regardless of the fields they specialize in the future, to build a firm foundation of research and problem-solving abilities. To realize this goal, we at Keio University have prepared not only an original medical curriculum which focuses on clinical training but also 'Self-directed Learning'. We are the first school of medicine in Japan which introduced such a program. This program requires students to choose topics of their interests and carry out research studies under the guidance of their tutors. Successful studies have been compiled into papers and published in prestigious domestic/international medical journals.

Development of Strict Ethical Standards and Rich Intelligence

While health care professionals should have a scientific and logical mindset, they are expected to have a high moral sense as well.  In our undergraduate course, first-year students are required to send their school life on the Hiyoshi Campus with students of other majors and complete basic educational subjects such as language, humanity, social science, and basic medical courses.

Clinical Education and Training

From the second year, specialized courses are conducted on the Shinanomachi Campus. As a starting point, students are recommended to take subjects such as histomorphology, anatomy, and embryology. In the third year, students broaden their knowledge to biological and social sciences. During the fourth year, basic pathognomy courses are provided, which lead to the clinical training program in the fifth and sixth years. By seeing patients in small groups, students learn how to develop their communicative competence (sense of responsibility, sense of harmony, leadership, etc.) along with medical expertise, both of which are equally important in becoming a good medical specialist. To be officially approved as a professional medical doctor, students have to pass the national examination for medical practitioners upon graduation. Keio University is always ranked as one of the top Japanese universities in terms of the number of students who pass this examination.