Programs for Doctoral Course Students

From the admission in 2023 onwards

The graduate school offers 9 programs for doctoral course students in terms of educational goals and contents.

Doctoral Degree Program in Medicine

Centered on the departments of medicine for intractable diseases, aging-related diseases, and lifestyle-related diseases, the doctoral degree program provides leading-edge education and research in basic, clinical, and social medicine with a focus on elucidating the etiology and treatment of intractable diseases and extending healthy life expectancy, widely collaborating with clinical departments of Okayama University Hospital, a core hospital for clinical research, and departments of dentistry and pharmaceutical sciences.

The program trains advanced medical professionals who can develop and apply advanced medical technology in response to the needs of the times and researchers and educators who can be active in interdisciplinary and international fields with extensive knowledge and advanced research skills in medicine. After completing the program, students are expected to be advanced clinicians with a deep understanding of life science and advanced medical technology, specialists in advanced medical treatment, researchers at public institutions or companies in Japan and abroad engaging in life science research, or university teachers who are able to develop future generations of researchers while expanding the wisdom of humanity in the life science field and implementing it in society.

Doctoral Degree Program in Medicine provides the elective “Comprehensive Cancer Research Training Program”, the “Glocal Medical Professional Training Program”, and the Medical Data Science Innovator Training Program (MDS)” programs as well.

Comprehensive Cancer Research Training Program / Research Specialist Course / Physician-Scientist Course

The program encompasses the researcher course conducted mainly by the Okayama University Cancer Research Consortium and the research doctor course conducted mainly by Mid-West Japan Cancer Professional Education Consortium. In principle, students in either course can take subjects taught in the other course as either required elective or elective subjects.

Research Specialist Course develops researchers who have an integrated understanding of the latest cancer research and the ability to promote research. After completing the program, students are expected to work as researchers at research institutes and companies engaging in cancer research in Japan and abroad, advanced research doctors who make full use of their latest specialized knowledge and multidisciplinary diagnostic and therapeutic techniques, or basic-level university teachers who contribute to medicine implementation by engaging in-depth research on cancer pathology and developing future generations of researchers.

Physician-Scientist Course develops research physicians capable of planning, creating, and implementing translational research, clinical research, and clinical trials with the understanding of cancer-specific clinical research methods, and who can analyze them in an integrated manner using medical statistics and other information. After completing the program, students are expected to work as research doctors at cancer treatment centers or clinical-oriented university teachers with advanced teaching and research skills in cancer and who are active internationally.

Glocal Medical Professional Training Program

The program develops medical professionals with viewpoints and methodologies to solve medical problems with a comprehensive understanding and cross-disciplinary approach beyond their field of study while remaining rooted in the local community’s medical needs, and who have an attitude of solving problems from a global perspective. After completing the program, students are expected to be General Practitioners (GP) that are advanced medical professionals, research doctors engaged in community medical care, or internationally active university teachers with cross-disciplinary and integrated teaching and research skills in diagnostics, therapeutics, epidemiology, ethics, sociology, and pedagogy. For career paths in the field of infectious diseases, the program aims to produce infectious disease clinical specialists, medical engineering officials/directors of public health centers and other professionals in public health and administration sectors, basic researchers with advanced knowledge backgrounds, and people playing active roles in international organizations such as the World Health Organization.

Medical Data Science Innovator Training Program / Big Data Analytics Course / Medical AI Application Course

To create innovative medical care, the program develops, through interdisciplinary functional collaboration, medical data science innovators (MDS) who can manage and analyze medical data, conduct research and development in new and complex fields, and index the results for social implementation.

Big Data Analyties Course develops professionals with data research coordination and project management skills. After completing the program, students are expected to be able to work as researchers in companies engaging in drug discovery and clinical trials as data scientists, university teachers who can plan, conduct, and evaluate medical data science research, or public officials with an advanced intellectual background who will be leaders in public health administration.

Medical AI Application Course develops professionals with an interdisciplinary understanding of medical AI and practical skills to solve medical problems. After completing the program, students are expected to work as researchers in companies challenging completely new problems in new and complex fields or highly advanced medical professionals who can create complex value by solving clinical problems utilizing medical data.

Doctoral Degree Program in Dentistry

The program develops advanced medical professionals, university teachers, and researchers in the field of dentistry who can create and use clinical evidence necessary for the development of advanced medical technology with the use of their extensive knowledge and advanced research skills in medicine and life sciences, clinical skills, and attitudes. The Doctoral Degree Program in Dentistry is designed to build unique career paths for clinical specialists and basic researchers. It provides interdisciplinary educational programs that meet the needs for advanced dental care, cooperation with medicine, and development of advanced researchers, collaborating with Okayama University Hospital, a core hospital for clinical research and departments of medicine and pharmaceutical sciences in the Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

After completing the program, students are expected to obtain the qualification of clinical dental specialist within a few years and become advanced dentists working in core hospitals and dental clinics, or to study at international advanced research training institutions and become leading dentists who teach at educational institutions in Japan and abroad, university teachers working as independent advanced medical researchers, or researchers in public research institutions and companies.

Doctoral Degree Program in Dentistry also provides an elective “Borderless Dental Research Training Program” to have students acquire the ability to explore interdisciplinary research and international collaborative research beyond the boundaries between research fields.

Borderless Dental Research Training Program

The program develops educators and researchers with advanced foresight and research skills supported by extensive knowledge in dental medicine who can work on an interdisciplinary and international basis beyond the borders of research fields and countries, and advanced medical professionals who can develop and apply advanced dental technologies in response to the needs of society.

After completing the program, students are expected to work as university teachers who develop future generations to help build a sustainable society while expanding their knowledge in the field of life science, researchers at institutions and companies in Japan and abroad who study life science related to dental care, or future-oriented clinical dentists who practice dental care in the post-aging society in collaboration with multiple professions.

Doctoral Degree Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences

The program develops pharmacy researchers and university teachers who will lead the next generation of pharmacy, advanced leading pharmacists, and advanced professionals with doctoral degrees with advanced and extensive expertise and skills in designing and supporting pharmacy and medication, high-level research skills to implement research from problem identification to solution in various phases from basic research to social empirical research on health and medical care, and an international outlook to contribute to the international community.

After completing the program, students are expected to work as researchers in institutions or companies in Japan or abroad engaging in pharmaceutical or life science research, next-generation university teachers who expand the wisdom of humanity in the field of pharmaceutical or life science and implement it in society, advanced leading pharmacists with doctoral degrees capable of sublimating clinical questions into research questions and solving them themselves in the design and support of pharmaceuticals and pharmacotherapy, or public officials with doctoral degrees who support the health, life, and future of the nation through public health and pharmaceutical administration.

Up to enrollment before 2022

The graduate school offers 8 programs for doctoral course students in terms of educational goals and contents.

General Program

“General Course” is designed to help students acquire research skills methodology through studying Common Core Subjects such as “Introduction of Basic Medical Sciences”, “Introduction of Clinical Medical Sciences”, “Research Seminar for Doctoral degree”, and “Specialized Subjects”, for which the Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences of Okayama University has an outstanding track record. “Minor Subjects” under the Specialized Subjects are designed as interdisciplinary studies allowing the students to receive guidance from other departments.

Clinical Specialist Program (Medicine)

Clinical Specialist Course: Acquiring high clinical skills and ability to understand and conduct clinical studies are the main goals of this course. Students are required to study patient diagnosis, to be able to conduct it from a holistic perspective and to conduct clinical research ability from an international perspective. In line with the concept of a “Medical Specialist” system established recently, this course is designed to help students to prepare themselves toward a specialist as well.
Students are required to take as Common Core Subjects “Introduction of Clinical Medical Sciences -Introduction to Medical Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Clinical Research & Preventive medicine” together with Specialized Subjects. Besides Major Subjects, students can seek guidance from other departments or take the elective programs as Minor Subjects. This will help students to benefit from a more extensive and inter-disciplinary.
Students in the following departments are eligible to choose this course.
“Cardiovascular Medicine”, “Cardiovascular Surgery”, “Anesthesiology and Resuscitology”, “Emergency, Critical Care and Disaster Medicine”, “Neuropsychiatry”, “Neurology”, “Child Neurology”, “Neurological Surgery”, “Nephrology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Metabolism”, “Gastroenterology and Hepatology”, “Dermatology”, “Pediatrics”, “Obstetrics and Gynecology”, “Urology”, “General Thoracic Surgery and Breast and Endocrinological Surgery”, “Radiology”, “Otolaryngology”, “Ophthalmology”, “Orthopaedic Surgery”, “Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery”, “Public Health”, “Epidemiology”, “General Medicine”, “Longevity and Social Medicine”

Clinical Specialist Program (Dentistry)

Clinical Specialist Course: Acquiring high clinical skills and ability to understand and conduct clinical studies are the main goals of this course. Students are required to study patient diagnosis, to be able to conduct it from a holistic perspective and to conduct clinical research ability from an international perspective. In line with the concept of a “Medical Specialist” system established recently, this course is designed to help students to prepare themselves toward a specialist qualification as well.
Students are required to take “Designing Clinical Research Workshop”, which is conducted separately and Specialized Subjects as a part of the curriculum. By receiving guidance from other department or taking the elective programs as a Minor Subject, students can benefit from a more extensive and inter-disciplinary studies. This course is only available, in principle, for students who have a dental license permitted by the Ministries of Japan.
Students in the following departments are eligible to choose this course.
“Operative Dentistry”, “Periodontal Science”, “Oral Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine”, “Occlusal and Oral Functional Rehabilitation”, “Orthodontics”, “Oral and Maxillofacial Reconstructive Surgery”, “Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Biopathology”, “Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology”, “Oral Health”, “Pediatric Dentistry”, “Dental Anesthesiology and Special Care Dentistry”, “Comprehensive Dentistry”

Cancer Professional Program (Medical Oncology Curriculum) (Medicine) =Oncologist Training Course

Cancer Professional Course: the purpose of this course is to provide education leading to acquire skills for oncology researches for future contribution to develop and maintain quality controls for cancer treatment throughout Japan including remote population.
Students are required to take a common curriculum of medical and co-medical, and take part in practices for multi-disciplinary-team-medical care.

Cancer Professional Course (Medical Oncology Curriculum) (Pharmaceutical Sciences)= Pharmaceutical oncologist training course

“Cancer Professional Course” is intended for students holding a license of a pharmacist and working experience and designed to enable them to acquiring skills for understanding and conducting clinical and translational oncology researches, and to be able to contribute to developing and maintaining quality controls for cancer treatment throughout Japan including remote populations.
Students are required to take a common curriculum of medical and co-medical, and take part in practices for multi-disciplinary-team-medical care.

Molecular Imaging Science Program

This course establishes partnership with Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University and National Research and Development Agency RIKEN (hereinafter called RIKEN Kobe). Molecular Imaging Science Course aims to train a new generation of researchers, bearing biological and advanced molecular imaging methods for application to basic, translational and clinical research.
The specialized curriculum emphasizes the development of molecular imaging for medical sciences and includes didactic training focusing on relevant molecular biology and research methodology coursework, instruction in advanced imaging methods, an individualized research program focusing on basic, translational, or clinical interdisciplinary research and experience in advanced methods of nuclear, radiographic, optical and magnetic resonance imaging/spectroscopy. This course is designed with an emphasis on skill acquisition regarding molecular imaging science.

Academic General Practitioner (GP) Program

This course aims to perform clinical research that is directly linked to wide-ranged diseases for general medicine and comprehensive medical care. The study subjects are derived from common clinical inquiries and the subjects can be extended to problem-solving learning for the clinical research. The results will be developed into novel clinical evidence for the general practitioners. This course setting also intends to train clinical and medical educators who are able to perform cross-sectional and integrative clinical researches such as diagnostic medicine, therapeutic medicine, public health, ethics and social medicine.

Clinical Artificial Intelligence (AI) Program

“Clinical AI course” is designed to help students acquire research skills and strategies for development of artificial intelligence (AI) in the field of clinical and medical sciences.
Students are required to take as Common Core Subjects “Introduction of Clinical Medical Sciences -Introduction to Medical Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Clinical Research & Preventive medicine” together with Specialized Subjects. The specialized subjects are designed to help students acquire research skills and strategies for development of AI in the field of clinical and medical sciences. This course setting also intends to train clinical and medical educators who are able to connect medical science with business.