Those who satisfy the completion requirements will be awarded the degree of Doctor of Medicine (医学博士). The policy rests on achieving competencies in the domains of foundational ability, specialized knowledge, ethics, and creativity, as well as ability in translational research and understanding across medical disciplines.

Fundamental Ability

• Achievement Goals:
  Ability to collect specialized information, identify problems, think logically, communicate research content, read and interpret English scientific literature, and engage in specialist discussion.
• Performance Indicators:
  Completion of elective and required courses in the broad domain, and ability to discuss research topics and literature content.

Specialized Knowledge

• Achievement Goals:
  As an independent researcher, identify research problems in specialized fields and propose solutions, and present results in academic forums.
• Performance Indicators:
  Ability to engage in research and publish or present outcomes, and proficiency in domain-level discussion.

Sense of Ethics

• Achievement Goals:
  Understand research misconduct, and maintain high normative awareness toward research ethics.
• Performance Indicators:
  Completion of graduate common course “Research Ethics” and departmental common course “Medical & Pharmaceutical Professional Research Theory,” and required ethics training (clinical research, recombinant DNA, animal experiments, radiation use, etc.).

Creativity

• Achievement Goals:
  Ability to generate new knowledge and derive further value, set next research problems, and communicate outcomes.
• Performance Indicators:
  Presentation in “Interdisciplinary Presentation Seminar I & II,” author original manuscripts, publish in peer-reviewed journals, present at conferences, and pass doctoral thesis examination and defense.

Translational Research Ability & Medical Knowledge

• Achievement Goals:
  Possess knowledge and skills to elucidate disease mechanisms, develop diagnostics or therapies, conduct preventive or therapeutic research, and translate basic findings into clinical application.
• Performance Indicators:
  Execution of translational research projects, integration of medical science knowledge into research, and successful defense of a clinically oriented doctoral dissertation.

Through individual guidance in the student’s research laboratory, students acquire foundational specialized knowledge and techniques in medical research. The doctoral thesis must include novelty, academic significance, and clinical translational potential. To ensure acquisition of broad foundational ability, advanced specialty knowledge, ethics, and translational research capability, the curriculum includes diverse elective courses, special seminars taught by external lecturers, training in research ethics, and required courses in methodology.

Student-led active learning centered in their research laboratory is emphasized. In years 1–3, students take a broad range of lecture and practicum courses to build foundational ability, specialized knowledge, and ethics. In year 4, they focus on writing and presenting the doctoral thesis.

Fundamental Ability

• Learning Content:
  Specialized knowledge, problem identification, reading/interpreting English articles, and presentation of research content.
• Learning Methods:
  Active learning via information gathering, planning research, reading relevant literature, and discussion.
• Evaluation of Learning Outcomes:
  Evaluated via exams, reports, presentations, and assessment of doctoral thesis and oral defense per established criteria.

Specialized Knowledge

• Learning Content:
  Conduct research in the specialized domain, collect knowledge, design experiments or investigations.
• Learning Methods:
  Enrollment in program-specific courses, lab work, presentation and discussion of research outcomes in academic settings.
• Evaluation of Learning Outcomes:
  Evaluation of thesis content and oral defense per criteria.

Sense of Ethics

• Learning Content:
  Training in research ethics, respect for persons, and compliance with legal and procedural norms.
• Learning Methods:
  Courses “Research Ethics” and “Medical & Pharmaceutical Professional Research Theory,” lectures and lab guidance in legal procedures.
• Evaluation of Learning Outcomes:
  Exams and reports in ethics courses; compliance and ethical integrity evaluated in thesis criteria.

Creativity

• Learning Content:
  Proposal, execution, and dissemination of new research, preparation for presentation and publication.
• Learning Methods:
  Seminars “Interdisciplinary Presentation I & II,” active learning in writing research papers, preparing for conferences, and presenting outcomes.
• Evaluation of Learning Outcomes:
  Presentation and Q&A performance, and evaluation of doctoral thesis and defense.

• We seek individuals who aspire to engage in cutting-edge research in medicine and healthcare.
• Applicants should have enthusiasm and capability for medical/healthcare research and the aspiration to contribute to global medicine.
• We prefer those with high basic academic ability across diverse disciplines who aim to pursue advanced research in medical science.

To admit diverse students including foreign ones, both April and October entry are allowed, and two admissions are held annually.

General Entrance Examination

Selection via foreign language examination (external English tests), oral interview, and academic transcript evaluation. The candidates’ ability, motivation, and competence equivalent to a 6-year medical school graduate are assessed.

Special Entrance Examination for International Students

Uses the same evaluation components: English exam, oral exam, transcript review.

Fundamental Ability

• Candidates should have intellectual interest in research fields, practice proactive learning, basic English reading skills for scientific literature, and ability to engage in logical discussion.

Specialized Knowledge

• Candidates should be able to learn actively, engage in discussion of related knowledge and literature, and gather specialized knowledge independently.

Sense of Ethics

• Candidates must possess normative awareness of research ethics and aspire to high professional ethics in medical and life science fields.

Creativity

• Broad intellectual curiosity and ability to set new research problems and explore solutions based on research outcomes are highly valued.