FELLOWSHIP:A PRIVILEGE WITH MORE RESPONSIBILITIES*
Dr.Sumana Barua**
This is my second time to be with this Fellowship Program as it was mentionad during the orientation of this Program.
In one hand, I got my medical education in the Philippines and lived there for more than ten years. On the other hand, I have been in Japan for several years. Thus, I was asked by Professor Umenai (my mentor at the University of Tokyo), Dr. Otani and Professor Kiikuni to be a bridge between the youths of Japan and the Philippines through this Fellowship.
Each one of you (participants of the third Fellowship) have just presented how the Fellowship contributed to your learning process from different aspects of health care services of the Philippines and from the activities of WHO. As today is the last day of this year's Program, I would like to emphasize a few points to you all, may be with some examples.
Out of around sixty applicants from all over Japan, only fourteen of you were awarded the Fellowship to visit the Philippines. This is a rare opportunity given to you based on your previous activities and achievements. Again this is a privilege with more responsibilities vested on each one of you in order to challenge a better future direction that you will be encountering.
For last few days you have been representing japanese medical students and the Japanese youths as a whole. Whatever you do today would reflect the younger generation of Japan. Thus, you may be considered as unofficial ''junior diplomats'' of Japan carrying the banner of the country. This awareness and the sence of responsibility is very important when one goes out of his / her own country especially when on an organized program like this.
I must tell you very frankly that it is really rewarding to find one's own way of life through experiencing hardship of many people around us such as the farmers, truck drivers, factory workers and so on. When you become doctors and these people come to you as patients.... I am sure, you world understand the case better than many other doctors who have never gone through this kind of hardships. For example, as a medical student you study about occupation
* Summarized and translated from the closing-lecture which was recorded by the Fellowship Secretariat
** Dr.Barua is a Bangladeshi medical doctor,at presentDopartment of Health P01icy and Planning, Faculty of Medicine, the University of Tokyo
Dr. Sumana Baruaには過去’96、’97の2度にわたって当プログラムの指導専門家として、参加学生と全日程同行いただきました。