My name is Canchai Yang, and I am a sophomore at Michigan State University. As a firstgeneration Hmong student, paying for college and study abroad has been difficult. But through the JBSD Culture/Career Hybrid Program Scholarship, I realized that studying abroad was possible, and for that I can’t thank enough for making it possible to attend the 2015 Health & Culture in Japan (HCJ) program at JCMU.

HCJ is a study abroad program focused on the health and cultural aspects of Japan’s community. The health aspect addressed the healthcare models and systems in Japan along with costs and policies. The cultural aspect discussed how the culture interacts with the Japanese healthcare system. During the program, we had four weeks of class and a week of visitation to universities and medical facilities. First, we visited the University of Shiga Prefecture to learn about Japan’s structure for nursing programs. We also learned about the nurses’ role in home healthcare and natural disasters. We also went to the Meiji University of Integrative Medicine, Shiga University of Medical Sciences, and to the World Health Organization’s office in Kobe. At Meiji, we learned and observed an acupuncturist and moxibustionist perform demonstrations on how to use acupuncture needles and moxibustion sticks on patients. At the Shiga University of Medical Sciences, we toured the hospital’s
operating and emergency rooms, and were lucky enough to observe surgeons at work. At the World Health Organization, we were participated in two presentations: one by the Technical Officer of Urban Health, Paul Rosenberg on urban health worldwide, and one by Technical Officer of Innovation for Healthy Aging, Dr. Jostacio M. Lapitan, on emergency and disaster risk management for health worldwide. I learned a great deal about healthcare and medicine in
Japan through all of these visits and experiences.

This trip was definitely an once-in-a-lifetime experience, and the people I’ve met during the program are unforgettable. The
things that I learned in class and at the medical facilities are lessons I could never learn by just reading a book, but only through experiencing Japan. I wouldn’t have changed it for anything else. Thank you for assisting me in funding my education.
Sincerely,
Canchai Yang

JCMU Program: Health & Culture in Japan (2015)
Home Institution: Michigan State University