Speaker
Description
Background: As medical education becomes increasingly internationalized, Japanese medical schools face a growing need to equip students with competencies to function in English in both clinical and academic settings. However, English for Medical Purposes (EMP) education in Japan has often been implemented as isolated courses rather than as a coherent curriculum aligned with institutional learning outcomes.
Methods: At the International University of Health and Welfare School of Medicine, a longitudinal Clinical English Program was developed based on the principles of Outcome-Based Education (OBE) and Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL). The program aligns with the institution’s diploma policies, which define English communication competence as the ability to participate in international clinical training and academic discussions. Educational goals include preparing students for overseas clinical clerkships by developing competencies in patient encounters, case presentations, and patient note writing in English, as well as the ability to engage in academic discussions. General English proficiency at or above CEFR B2 is also emphasized. Student achievement is assessed through the Post-Clinical Clerkship OSCE, which evaluates patient encounters, case presentations, and patient note writing, as well as through eight administrations of the TOEFL ITP during the undergraduate program.
Results: Evaluation data from the Post-Clinical Clerkship OSCE and longitudinal TOEFL ITP scores will be presented to illustrate students’ development in clinical communication skills and general English proficiency.
Conclusions: This presentation describes the design, learning outcomes, and assessment framework of this longitudinal EMP curriculum and discusses how such institution-based initiatives may contribute to future efforts toward developing a model core curriculum for EMP education in Japan.