Figure 1

Community-based learning curriculum. In their first year, all students are required to take part in a one-day early_exposure program in order to become familiar with rural practices. In their second year, care conferences are held and care plans are designed according to a home-care scenario as part of a one-week course called the “In-home Medical Care Tutorial”. In their third year, the medical students discuss team-based care in collaboration with nursing, pharmacy, and clinical laboratory technician students in a one-week-long course called “Teamwork Training”. On-the-job training in a rural medical practice is also undertaken in each student’s fifth year during an eight-week course called the ‘Community-Based Medicine Clerkship’. In their sixth year, a one- to six-week optional rural practice training is also available as an elective.