University Accreditation Results(Results for Certified Evaluation and Accreditation for university)

Tokyo Women's Medical University

Basic Information of the Institution
Ownership: Private

Location: Tokyo, Japan

Accreditation Status
Year of the Review: 2021
Accreditation Status: accredited （Accreditation Period: April.1.2022 – March 31, 2029）

Tokyo Women’s Medical University

Certified Evaluation and Accreditation Resultsfor Tokyo Women’s Medical University

Overview
The founding spirit of Tokyo Women’s Medical University, “we intend to nurture
female medical professionals who contribute to the society and foster theirprofessionalism through the pursuit of deep understanding of medical sciences,” wasdescribed. With the University’s philosophy being “Sincerity and Compassion,” themission to educate women to be medical professionals with creative intelligence and arich sense of humanity so that they contribute to society and cultural development. The
medium- to long-term vision is to “guarantee the provision of safe medical practice asa trustworthy medical institution.” The medium- to long-term plan formulated by theUniversity sets building trust, medical safety, empowerment of women, crossing
barriers, and financial improvement as five pillars in realizing this vision, anduniversity management is being worked on as such.
Regarding internal quality assurance, with the Self-Evaluation Advisory
Council being the top-level organization in charge of university-wide promotion, thepolicy for the entire University is stipulated in the university regulations and graduate
school regulations. Quality enhancement of education throughout the University is
being overseen by the Education Executive Council besides the Education Quality
Enhancement Committee and Educational Steering Committee, each set up for theSchool of Medicine and Graduate School of Medical Science as well as the Schoolof Nursing and Graduate School of Nursing. Nevertheless, authority and division ofroles among the Self-Study Advisory Committee and the Education Advisory
Council with respect to fulfilling internal quality assurance responsibilities are notclearly defined. Additionally, ideal cooperation among the Self-Study Advisory
Committee, the Education Advisory Council, the Education Quality Enhancement
Committee of both undergraduate and graduate divisions and standard method ofreporting or notifying the Self-Study Advisory Committee are not stipulated inregulations. Going forward, the organization promoting internal quality assurance
and each of the organizations within the University should engage in appropriate
cooperation.
Regarding education, all undergraduate and graduate divisions have organized
their curricula appropriately according to the degree award policy (diploma policy) andcurriculum design and implementation policy (curriculum policy). The curriculum is1

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methodical and systematic, with an outcome roadmap a training skill level chart guidestudents in the school of medicine and in nursing respectively on their level ofacademic achievement until graduation for the School of Nursing, which also indicatestargets to be achieved midway in each segment. Students can objectively assess andrecognize their own level of achievement this way, which is highly commendable. With
the School of Medicine, developing original benchmarks as tools to determine theeffects of studying clinical reasoning abilities and furthermore conducting multifaceted
analysis for leveraging in education are outstanding initiatives.
Also, as excellent initiatives, regarding education and research organizations,to have physicians and nurses with a global perspective who play an active role inthe future, the International Relations Office has been handling affairs related tooverseas exchange in a centralized manner since its establishment and has thus far
conducted numerous overseas dispatches and hosting along with the School ofMedicine and School of Nursing, which can be highly commended.
In line with the basic policies for the fields of research and medicine based on
the corporation’s medium- to long-term plan and targets, the ratio of full-time female
faculty members has been increased, which not only contributes to securing diversity
but also serves to allow the female faculty members to be a role model for students
who study at a women’s university and promises to be a positive influence in shaping
the careers of female medical professionals and can be said to be an outstanding
initiative.
However, there are several issues that should be corrected and improved. The
Master’s Course and Doctor’s Course in the Graduate School of Nursing both do notdisclose thesis examination criteria. This should be corrected. The University should
thoroughly implement student quota management, considering that there aredepartments in the undergraduate schools for which the ratio of student enrollment
to the student enrollment cap and the average of ratios of freshman enrollment to thefreshman enrollment cap in the last five years are both high.
Moving forward, through internal quality assurance initiatives, it is anticipatedthat improvements will be made on issues that have been identified at this time andthat a notable strength of Tokyo Women’s Medical University, fostering female
medical professionals who can contribute globally, will be further developed and thatdiversity will widen in the world of medicine.
Notable Strengths
Education and Research Organizations2

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Since its inception and with its objective of physicians and nurses with a global
perspective playing an active role in the future, the International Office has
concluded student exchange partnerships with numerous universities overseas
and continues to handle affairs related to overseas exchange. Thus far, it has
conducted numerous overseas dispatches and hosting along with the School ofMedicine and School of Nursing. Results are evident in graduates who arecontinuing to play an active role globally and working toward obtaining
qualifications required for physicians and nurses wishing to participate in
medical and nursing activities in the United States and can be commended ascontributing to the achievement of the University’s philosophy.

Educational Program and Learning Outcomes Faculties are set up to enable students to objectively assess and recognize theirown level of achievement. It is identifiable with an outcome roadmap for theSchool of Medicine and a level chart indicating the status of training skills basedon the diploma policy and level of academic achievement toward graduation for
the School of Nursing, also indicating outcomes and targets to be achieved instages regarding training ability. In the School of Medicine, combining this selfassessment of achievement level with activity records for the practical study of“Sincerity and Compassion” and learning outcomes can be commended as aunique initiative in which students become aware of their own growth and withwhich striving toward new goals to be attained can be anticipated.
The School of Medicine is independently developing new evaluation
benchmarks for learning outcomes, such as the Script Concordance Test (SCT),
which was developed and implemented as original indicators to determine theeffects of clinical reasoning abilities, and the Problem-Solving Ability Test (PSAT), which adds a routine written test to the evaluation results of seminars andpractical training (basics of medical treatment) regarding clinical reasoning.
Initiatives in an attempt to further leverage these results for education by putting
them under multifaceted analysis by the IR team of the Center for Medical andNursing Education can be commended as contributing to the betterment ofeducation.
Faculty and Faculty Organization3

Tokyo Women’s Medical UniversityThe TWMU Career Development Center for Medical Professionals promotes
female medical professionals to lead the society. The center supports female
medical professionals to continue working or returning to work after absence, byproviding a suitable work environment for female medical professionals. The
center aims to nurture the leadership of female medical professionals as statedin the basic policies for the fields of research and medicine based on thecorporation’s medium- to long-term plan. Such initiative is contributing toraising the ratio of full-time female faculty members. This can be commended
for not only contributing to securing diversity but also allowing the female
faculty members to be role models for students who study at a women’s
university and promising to be a positive influence in shaping the careers offemale medical professionals.

Social Cooperation and Contribution
 The Bio-Medical Curriculum is being offered for engineers in thepharmaceutical and medical device industries. This course has been continuing
for over half a century, and the fact that so many have completed the program
can be said to reflect the needs of society. Such an endeavor can be commended
as even being a prototype for “recurrent education” for adults that is being
promoted by the government.
Suggestions for Improvement
Internal Quality Assurance
 Authority and division of roles among the Self-Evaluation Advisory Council andthe Education Executive Council with respect to fulfilling internal quality
assurance responsibilities are not clearly defined in regulations for self-study.
Additionally, ideal cooperation among the Self-Evaluation Advisory Council,
Education Executive Council, Medical Education Quality Enhancement
Committee, Nursing Education Quality Enhancement Committee, and the needto report to or notify the Self-Evaluation Advisory Council regarding activities
and details/results of deliberations on internal quality assurance of the variousorganizations within the University are not stipulated in regulations.
Improvements should be made to regulations so that actual conditions are in linewith stipulations.
Student Enrollment

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In the last five years, the average of ratios of freshman enrollment to thefreshman enrollment cap and the ratio of student enrollment to the student
enrollment cap are both high at 1.02 in the School of Medicine. This should be
improved to ensure proper undergraduate student quota management.

Recommendation
Educational Program and Learning Outcomes Thesis examination criteria for the Master’s Course and Doctor’s Course in theGraduate School of Nursing are not disclosed in print nor on the website andimprovement should be made in this regard.

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