Professor Shunji Ishihara

It is my pleasure to welcome you to the homepage of Shimane University, Faculty of Medicine. My name is Shunji Ishihara. I have held the position of Dean since October 2023. I also hold the position of Professor of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Internal Medicine II. 

Shimane Medical University was established in 1976 as the only medical university in the prefecture. The school of nursing was established in 1999, and the consolidation with Shimane University in 2003 enabled the establishment of the Faculty of Medicine that exists today. Our faculty is located in Izumo City, a region that boasts wonderful nature. Close to the Sea of Japan and Lake Shinji, we have the Chugoku mountains in the south, and in the center, we have the Hiikawa River and the Kandogawa River flowing through the expansive Izumo Plain. Izumo is also known as the birthplace of mythology, and every October according to the lunar calendar, the Gods gather and assemble at Izumo Taisha.

Our mission is the cultivation of human resources who have the capacity to contribute to the welfare of humankind and who can serve the advancement of our medical care, medical and nursing studies, and our local community. To that end, our students receive a rich, internationally-framed education, gain high ethical standards, and develop a scientific spirit of inquiry. Within the framework of medical and nursing education, the cultivation of medical professionals who practice professionalism (excellence, human skills, accountability, altruism) is at the heart of our mission. 

The practice of advanced medical care and the contribution to community healthcare are the two main pillar objectives. For advanced medical care, we offer treatment using sophisticated technology and the latest drugs along with an approach rooted in the clinical application of basic research results. For community healthcare, we have some uniquely-established departments (dept. of community healthcare education, dept. of community healthcare and support, dept. of general medical education, Neural GP Network), who are involved in various endeavors. To achieve our objectives, an undergraduate and postgraduate education system that complies with the diverse nature of modern medicine is compulsory. I believe that we also want to focus on the cultivation of medical professionals who possess the brilliant research minds required to deliver their research outcomes to the world. 

The relationships between our faculty personnel across many departments are crucial to our faculty’s organization. With everybody’s cooperation, with the objective of “inheritance and progression”, I intend to honor the hitherto-observed traditions and embrace a future-focused approach of challenging the new, as I engage in my education-, medical care-, and research-related work.