The department provides comprehensive care for digestive diseases, with a particular focus on endoscopic treatment for early gastrointestinal cancer. Drawing on extensive clinical experience and advanced endoscopic techniques, the center offers short-term observerships and long-term fellowships for physicians from Japan and overseas.
Kitakyushu Municipal Medical Center is a major municipal hospital located in central Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, a city with approximately 900,000 residents. As a designated regional cancer care coordination hospital, it provides advanced cancer care. It also serves as a comprehensive perinatal and maternal care center, a disaster base hospital, a regional medical support hospital, and a collaborating hospital for cancer genomic medicine.
The hospital has 522 licensed beds, comprising 506 general beds and 16 beds for infectious diseases. The department treats gastrointestinal diseases from the esophagus to the colon, pancreatic and biliary diseases, and inflammatory bowel disease, including ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Endoscopic treatment for early gastrointestinal cancer is a core area of its clinical practice.
As an accredited training institution of the Japan Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society and the Japanese Society of Gastroenterology, the department trains young physicians. It contributes to the standardization and dissemination of endoscopic techniques through the coordination of multicenter studies and invited lectures at conferences in Japan and abroad.
Kitakyushu Municipal Medical Center →
| Category | Number / Volume |
|---|---|
| Gastroenterologists | 11 |
| Endoscopy instructors | 5 |
| Nurses | 12 |
| Endoscopic procedures | More than 7,000 per year |
| Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) | Approximately 300 per year |
| Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) | Approximately 600 per year |
- Observation of ESD involving the esophagus, stomach, colon, and duodenum
- Demonstration and explanation of advanced techniques, including underwater ESD, underwater EMR, and wound closure using MICT
- Observation of gastrointestinal stent placement
- Optional hands-on ESD training using an ex vivo porcine stomach model
- Clinical participation: Involvement in endoscopic examinations, ESD, and other endoscopic treatments after obtaining the required authorization
- Progressive ESD training: Hands-on instruction using ex vivo and animal models
- Case discussions and research planning: Guidance available in English
- Academic support: Mentorship in presentations at international conferences and manuscript preparation in English
- Multicenter research opportunities: Participation opportunities in studies such as CC-STEP and the C-C-B trial
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Languages | English and Japanese |
| Capacity | 1–2 participants at a time |
| Short-term observership | 1–2 weeks; applications accepted year-round |
| Long-term fellowship | 3–6 months; authorization application required |
For Those Wishing to Join the Program
Please prepare the following information and contact us via the inquiry form.
We also welcome general inquiries without a commitment to apply.