The School of Medicine at Showa University was founded in 1928, with the goal of "training superior clinical physicians". The School of Pharmaceutical Sciences was formed in 1964, the School of Dentistry in 1977, and the School of Healthcare Science in 2002. The University boasts 86 years of history and tradition, and is the sole university in Japan to offer such comprehensive medical science education. Showa University makes a social contribution by combining education, research and medical care. Its performance in each of these fields is rated among the best in the country, and its schools are all accredited by independent institutions. One of the strongest features of a Showa education is the opportunity for extensive clinical training at eight affiliated hospitals. Students gain quick exposure to the clinical setting, consciously strive to attain high standards in their training. The key feature of our research program is the cooperative nature of the research carried out across medical, dental, pharmaceutical science, nursing, physical therapy and occupational therapy. This helps to establish new modes of treatment and provides the basis for novel drug development, allowing our researchers to make significant contributions to the life sciences. Showa University maintains 9 medical institutions. Each of these facilities has its own areas of specialization and unique characteristics, and provides high level medical care, with strong emphases on emergency and rural medicine.