Abstract

PURPOSE: To compare communication-training components at Fukushima Medical University (FMU) and the National University of Singapore (NUS) and identify practices that could strengthen communication education at FMU.

METHODS: During a four-week FMU–NUS exchange (two weeks at NUS’s Centre for Medical Education and two weeks in a clinical rotation), the first author observed curricula, teaching methods, small-group tutorials, simulation and role-play sessions, formative feedback processes, and bedside coaching. Comparative analysis focused on curriculum design, instructional methods, opportunities for practice, and mechanisms for reflection and feedback.

RESULTS: NUS implements a longitudinal, integrated model in which communication skills are introduced early, reinforced across preclinical and clinical years, and taught through interactive, student-centered methods (small-group cases, simulation, role-play, early clinical exposure, and structured reflection). Faculty deliberately link classroom learning with in situ clinical coaching and routine formative feedback. FMU operates a spiral curriculum that revisits domains over six years but remains largely lecture-based; practical opportunities for guided practice and reflection are limited, and connections between theory and clinical application are often implicit.

CONCLUSIONS: Embedding experiential learning, early clinical exposure, structured feedback, and student–faculty partnerships into FMU’s communication curriculum could accelerate development of competence and confidence and better align education with international standards. Practical, feedback-rich strategies are recommended to translate theoretical content into consistent clinical performance.

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