| Greetings from the Dean |
 |
Yoshihiko Hayashi, DDS, PhDI
Professor of Cariology
Dean of the School and the Graduate School of Dentistry |
Dear Students’
The Nagasaki University School of Dentistry was founded on October 1, 1979, and remains the youngest national school of dentistry. Next year, we will be celebrating the 30th anniversary of the School’s foundation. This year, approximately 1,500 graduates have gone on to contribute to numerous dental-related fields throughout Japan.
Our educational policy aims at developing skilled and reliable stomatologists who are responsive to patients’ rights and humanity. Thus, we strive to maintain the highest standards of dental professional education through an enriched curriculum. The School of Dentistry offers many unique educational experiences throughout the course of study. During the first year, students are given early exposure to dental practice at outside clinics. In the third year, courses in dental oriental medicine (basic course) and community learning are offered. In the fifth year, students are offered 20 novel courses combining basic and clinical fields, such as dental oriental medicine (clinical course) and dysphagia rehabilitation, some of which are available through the PBL system, while sixth-year students attain experience in clinical practice (man-to-man system under a qualified instructor). Nagasaki University has 8 faculties, including 3 schools (Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Science) and 2 institutes (Tropical Medicine and Atomic Bomb Disease) of medicine. We are now planning to develop and promote a deep appreciation of professional health service education through collaboration between the three schools of medicine.
From 2006, all graduates of the dental school were required to take a trainee course following certification to improve their skills, as well as improve the quality of the dental profession. This system also serves as a starting point for continuous professional development. Fortunately, our university hospital for medicine and dentistry has two centers in the dental division, the Center for Oral Health Care and Dysphagia Rehabilitation and the Center for Oral and Maxillofacial Implants, for teaching advanced dentistry. Along with the 12 departments in the dental division, these two centers provide extensive support for new residents in learning clinical skills.
In the Edo period, Dejima in Nagasaki was Japan’s only window to the outside world, and many young scholars visited Nagasaki to learn about foreign cultures and civilizations. In the same tradition, the Nagasaki University School of Dentistry continues to welcome students from all over Japan, including Kyushu Island. We hope that students will take full advantage of both our excellent learning facilities and the wonderful environment of Nagasaki, an area known for its warm hospitality, delicious food, and mild climate. |
