Features
Here we seek to introduce the original educational programs and research infrastructure available within the School of Pharmacy
Promotion of small class sizes
The school of pharmacy provides small-group instruction from the first-grade and is assigning research-based teachers to give individual educational guidance to students. In particular, in the Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences, 33 teachers have been assigned to a total of 35 students. Students enter the laboratories during their third year and study for two years, benefiting from a close working relationship with teachers and graduate students. They will realize that they are at the frontline of research work through their own experimental studies. The students of the School of Pharmacy are not only prepared for clinical training and the national exam for pharmacists but the pharmaceutical knowledge and the development of a studious mind, borne of this experience in the laboratory places them in good stead for a successful future.
Educational organization
Our education policies focus on respecting the autonomy of students and this idea is derived from the motto, "small numbers make for exceptional talent". These objectives are achieved with the cooperation of teaching staff at the School of Pharmacy, Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics and Institute of Research Development and Analysis. In pharmaceutical education we undertake practical instruction with the help of not only doctors and pharmacists with clinical experience, but also medical doctors from the Faculty of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Ample Research Equipment
We have ample research equipment to do further research at the university and these capabilities are being increased year by year. This equipment is a vital tool in fostering research education at the university and graduate school. Here at Kumamoto University, we have established the first Research Institute for Drug Discovery in Japan. We are also advancing the promotion of new drug development with the establishment of the new Center of Drug Development.
Advanced Education and Research of Medical Pharmacy
During the third year of the previous curriculum, students undertook a two week practical training course at hospitals and pharmacies. This practical training remains a compulsory part of the curriculum. This training is invaluable to students and provides them with first hand experience on the pharmaceutical and medical front lines. We have extended the term of this practical training to two and a half months. Preparations are currently underway to prepare this course for 2010.
Newly established Drug Delivery System (DDS) Course at the graduate school
In 2006 a new DDD course was added to the Pharmaceutics and Drug Formulation curriculum, a part of our efforts to train researchers with ever higher degrees of professionalism.
