Voices of Our Members
Providing Holistic Care That Respects Patients’ Social Backgrounds and Views on Life
S.W.
(Initials notation)
Graduated in 2024
I graduated from Oita University and am currently in my third year as a physician.
I completed my two years of initial residency training at Oita Prefectural Hospital and continue to work there as a senior resident.
What inspired you to pursue respiratory medicine?
When I was a medical student, it was during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and clinical training opportunities were heavily restricted. Because of that, I had almost no understanding of what respiratory medicine actually involved. I also had an image of the field as being extremely complicated and difficult, with complex bronchial anatomy and challenging chest CT and X-ray interpretations, so I was actually somewhat intimidated by it.
However, during my initial residency training, my rotation in respiratory medicine sparked my interest in internal medicine. The physicians were kind not only to patients but also to the staff, and I was deeply drawn to the holistic style of care in which physicians spent time with patients, built long-term relationships, and respected each patient’s social background and personal values.
Gradually, I also became academically fascinated by the field. I found myself increasingly absorbed in interpreting bronchial anatomy during bronchoscopy, reading chest CT findings, and keeping up with the constantly evolving field of lung cancer treatment. That experience became the foundation of my journey into respiratory medicine.
What kind of physician would you like to become in the future?
In the field of respiratory medicine, there are many diseases for which complete cure is difficult, and maintaining remission becomes the primary goal. There are also illnesses closely related to patients’ living or working environments.
In such situations, physicians are often required to build long-term relationships with patients and, at times, step into and engage with the social circumstances surrounding them.
Of course, I want to continue updating my medical knowledge and clinical experience, but beyond that, I aspire to become a physician who can genuinely face patients in those moments and build strong therapeutic relationships with them.
A message to medical students and residents
Although I currently lead a busy daily life working at a community hospital, the work environment is extremely supportive, allowing me to practice medicine and continue lifelong learning in a positive and open atmosphere.
The field of respiratory medicine covers an exceptionally wide range of diseases, including infectious diseases, malignancies, diffuse lung diseases, allergic diseases, and many others. For residents who have not yet decided on the specific field they wish to pursue, I believe this is a particularly recommended specialty.
For medical students as well, I encourage you not to narrow your choices too early based solely on preconceived impressions, as I once did. Instead, I recommend maintaining curiosity about many different specialties and rotating through as broad a range of departments as possible during your initial residency training. You may encounter a specialty you never expected to find fascinating.
If you are interested in respiratory medicine, or if you are struggling to decide on a specialty, please feel free to reach out to us anytime. We look forward to meeting you.