Shiga University of Medical Science (SUMS), founded in 1974 in the small city of Ōtsu, capital of Japan’s Shiga Prefecture, is a non-profit public higher education institution
Surrounded by rich culture and beautiful nature, such as Lake Biwa, it has two undergraduate schools, of Medicine and Nursing, and two graduate schools, also of Medicine and Nursing.
School of Medicine students spend two years engaged in early clinical practice at designated training hospitals. School of Nursing students study a curriculum which mixes liberal arts with specialised subjects, and can apply to join a programme which allows them to become a publich health nurse or a midwife in their third year of training. SUMS also offers joint lessons with the School of Medicine and nursing practices.
Facilities include a robotic surgical device called Da Vinci, a PET-CT, and a hybrid operating room. There is also a heliport, which allows the university hospitals to respond to a large area for emergency medical care.
The Research Physician Training Programme trains students who wish to become physician scientists, giving them the opportunity to do research and earn a PhD at an earlier stage than in standard doctoral courses.
SUMS has a high reputation for research in areas such as neurodegenerative disease, biomedical research using cynomolgus monkeys, and international epidemiological research on non-communicable diseases.
With an admission rate from 20-30 per cent in 2016, SUMS is a highly selective institution. International students are encouraged to apply; the International House of Shiga University of Medical Science, known simply as The House, is a residence hall specially for international students and academics.
