We made a field trip to Hiroshima University Hospital to observe its clinical training practices on February 22, 2013. Distinctive features of the clinical training system were as follows. 1) Training schedule. Learning objectives and clinical cases required are established in each specialty clinics. Students can make training schedules in each specialty clinic for themselves in accordance with the progress of required cases of their own. They can move from a clinic to other clinic in a day in order to follow their cases. 2) The small group system and the tutor system for the group. Students are assigned to a group consisting of 3 to 4 persons. They get a clinical training together and share clinical experiences with each other. They hold the group meeting every other Wednesday. The tutor checks the progress on their cases and discusses about next training objectives with each person. 3) The stepwise training and evaluation system. The clinical training are given in 3 terms. Learning objectives in each term are established in stepwise setting. Students are evaluated for their levels of attainment at the end of each term. 4) Morning meeting and mini-lecture. Students attend morning meeting and a mini-lecture before the clinical training everyday. 5) Clinical clerkship. Clinical clerkship has been performed with support of patients. Patients in the hospital are informed for the clinical clerkship. Participants provide written informed consent prior to entry into the system. However, the number of patients for clinical clerkship were not enough. These features are informative and helpful for us to improve our clinical training system. And recruitment of patients who kindly support the clinical clerkship may be the biggest problem to solve in both universities
