McMaster大学での研修について、続報（1）。

新潟大学を含む10大学で協働するグローバルヘルスプログラムについては、多くの方から、それぞれのプログラムにおける役割や立場から、さまざまなお話をお聞きしました。

グローバルヘルスプログラム（修士課程）を運営するチームでは、MSc（修士課程、1年）に加えて、Ph.D.（博士課程、3年）と、「Graduate Diploma」の2課程（1年）を運営しています。2つのディプロマ課程は、"Global Surgery"と"Social Medicine"です。

「Graduate Diploma」は、大学卒業後、臨床などの実践経験を持つ人が、さらに専門性を高めるために学ぶ大学院レベルの課程で、修士号とは異なる「ディプロマ」の認定が得られます。

お話をお聞きする中では、ディプロマを受講するモチベーションは「学位を取得すること」だけではなく、臨床実践に必要な専門性を高めるため、最新の知識や技術を学ぶことに重点が置かれているとのことでした。多忙な臨床実践を休止する期間を短縮できるよう、修士課程より短い1年間の課程とし、オンラインを中心とした学習形態、学費の面でも受講しやすい設定になっているそうです。

日本で「ディプロマ」というと、専門学校等の修了者に授与されるものをイメージすることが多いですが、教育システムが異なるカナダでは、大学卒業後の専門性を高めるための大学院レベルの教育課程として位置づけられています。

McMaster大学のディプロマの2つについて；

"Global Surgery" :  Graduate Diploma in Global Surgery: Surgical Care Systems & Health Equity

単に「世界の外科医療」を学ぶのではなく、外科医療へのアクセス、医療システム、健康格差・公平性、社会的に脆弱な人々への外科医療などを扱う課程です。プログラムの計画・評価や、多様な対象者・患者の視点も含まれます。

Understanding surgical care systems, health equity, and access to surgical care worldwide

”Social Medicine” : Graduate Diploma in Social Medicine and Entrepreneurship

社会医学を基盤に、健康の社会的決定要因や健康格差を捉え、社会的課題に対するコミュニティ主体の取り組みや、social entrepreneurship（社会的起業）につなげることを目指す課程です。

Exploring social determinants of health, health equity, and community-based approaches to social change

いずれも、地球的な視野をもって人々の健康に取り組む視点としては大変興味深い内容です。

詳細は、McMaster大学のウェブサイトで構成科目などの確認ができます。

https://gs.mcmaster.ca/program/global-surgery/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://gs.mcmaster.ca/program/social-medicine-and-entrepreneurship/

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Regarding the Global Health Programme, a collaborative initiative involving 10 universities including Niigata University, we heard from many people about their roles and perspectives within their respective programmes.

The team running the Global Health Programme (Master’s programme) offers not only the MSc (one-year Master’s programme) but also a PhD (three-year doctoral programme) and two ‘Graduate Diploma’ programmes (one year each).

The two Diploma programmes are ‘Global Surgery’ and ‘Social Medicine’. 

The ‘Graduate Diploma’ is a postgraduate-level programme designed for individuals who, having graduated from university, possess practical experience—such as in clinical settings—and wish to further enhance their specialisation; upon completion, students are awarded a ‘Diploma’, which is distinct from a Master’s degree.

During our discussion, it became clear that the motivation for undertaking a Diploma programme is not merely ‘to obtain a qualification’, but rather to focus on acquiring the latest knowledge and skills in order to enhance the expertise required for clinical practice.

To minimise the time spent away from demanding clinical practice, and feature a predominantly online learning format, with tuition fees set at a level that makes them accessible to students, the programmes are designed to last one year—shorter than a Master’s programme.

In Japan, the term ‘diploma’ is often associated with qualifications awarded to graduates of vocational colleges and similar institutions; however, in Canada—where the education system differs—it is positioned as a postgraduate-level educational programme designed to enhance specialisation following a university degree.

Regarding the two diplomas offered by McMaster University:

‘Global Surgery’: Graduate Diploma in Global Surgery:

Surgical Care Systems & Health Equity Rather than simply studying ‘global surgical care’,

this programme addresses access to surgical care, healthcare systems, health inequalities and equity, and surgical care for socially vulnerable populations.

It also covers programme planning and evaluation, as well as the perspectives of diverse stakeholders and patients. Understanding surgical care systems, health equity, and access to surgical care worldwide

‘Social Medicine’: Graduate Diploma in Social Medicine and Entrepreneurship

Based on social medicine, this programme aims to understand the social determinants of health and health inequalities, and to link these to community-led initiatives addressing social challenges and social entrepreneurship.

Exploring social determinants of health, health equity, and community-based approaches to social change

Both programmes offer highly interesting perspectives on addressing people’s health from a global viewpoint.

Further details, including the course modules, can be found on the McMaster University website.