Hi, I’m Tong Xuexia from China. I was a Ph.D. student in the Faculty of Medicine, Shimane University from 2016.04 to 2020.03. I studied in the Department of Internal Medicine, at the Division of Medical Oncology & Respiratory Medicine. I mainly focused on the basic research studies of respiratory disease especially lung cancer. The doctors and assistants in my department were very kind. They helped me a lot when I lived in Japan. Under the supervision of Prof. Takeshi Isobe and Dr. Ryosuke Tanino, I learned many experiment skills for research, such as: cell culture, cell viability assay (WST-8), RT-qPCR, Immunoblot, RNA transfection, xenograft model and so on.  In my thesis, we found that: (a) PTK2 hyperphosphorylation is a novel factor in EGFR-TKI resistance in NSCLC; (b) A combination of an EGFR-TKI and a PTK2 inhibitor is a potentially new therapeutic approach to overcome EGFR-TKI resistance.
   After four years of the Ph.D. course and I eventually got the Ph.D. degree, I came back to China to continue as a clinical doctor. Now, I work in the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, at the General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University. Ningxia is a small province in the northwest of China. Since the COVID-19 epidemic continues in the world, the duty as a respiratory doctor is huge and important. Now that my everyday life as a doctor is very busy and enriching, I am enjoying that.
   The experience of living and studying in Izumo, Japan, improved my study ability and expanded my knowledge of the Japanese language and culture. What I learned from Japanese researchers has made me focus more and more on the one thing that I am doing. The skills for research that I learned have helped me to continue my research in China.
   The four years study in Shimane University is the great treasure of my whole life. I miss the people I met, and the life in Japan, dreadfully. If you are interested in studying in Japan, I sincerely recommend Shimane University. Izumo is a not so big city in Japan, but it is a very quiet and beautiful city, and a place blessed by God (Izumo Taisha). Izumo Taisha is a very magical place. The professors, teachers, staff and students in Shimane University are very nice and friendly, and the life in Izumo is calm and comfortable. 
   I also want to give some advice to you who wants to choose studying here as an international student. First, improve your language, both English and Japanese. Good English will enable you to communicate with people in the university. Good Japanese will make you more comfortable outside of campus life, because Japanese is the first language in Japan. Second, remember your goal of coming to study in Japan. This will help you study harder and learn more than you thought. Third, maintain good health and habits. When I was studying in Izumo, I started to love running, and that gave me energy during study. Fourth, learn how to live alone. You need to know how to cook and do other things you need to finish by yourself.  Last but not least, enjoy your life  here.
  I hope you will have a wonderful experience at the Izumo campus of Shimane University.

by TONG XUEXIA, April 2022