On Saturday, April 8th, 2023, TMDU held the Imperial College London & TMDU Discussion Café as a part of the Imperial College London (ICL) exchange program. Around 25 students, including the exchange students from ICL, TMDU undergraduate students and TMDU international graduate students, came together to discuss the topics “Healthcare Systems” and “Health and Economy”. We were able to hear various opinions stemming from diverse backgrounds and learn about the current issues in health care of not only Japan and the UK, but of many other countries. 

During the first discussion on “Healthcare Systems”, one of the key points discussed was health care and its funding. Since all the participants are learning either medicine or dentistry, they were aware of the importance of health care accessibility to all people, regardless of socioeconomic status. However, each country has its own healthcare system run by different funds. Hence, the accessibility of health care greatly differs depending on the country. The participants discussed various points to come up with the ideal healthcare system that is both sustainable and fair to its people. During the second discussion on “Health and Economy”, there were many interesting conversations regarding the increasing inflation and political unrest around the globe. The participants talked about how the lives of the people in their own countries have been affected and how the healthcare industry is coping with economic and political instability. Being or becoming medical professionals, we all had a great opportunity to think about the problems and possible solutions for the future.