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| "Women's Life and Health" is the interview series that features active professional women about their health, lifestyle and career. |
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| Interview
vol.5 |
Yoshimi Yasukawa -Part2 |
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| What kind of doctor do you want to be? |
| There are many medical TV soap operas in Japan today, and the characters include various types of doctors. Some are highly practical and realistic, while others are highly humanistic, such as “Dr. Koto.” Doctors such as Zaizen in “Shiroi Kyoto,” meanwhile, see operations as a way to achieve fame. Those programs make me think of doctors in many different ways. So I think from now on I have to seek the stance I will take toward patients. I still have no foundation, so I tend to agree with whatever opinions I come into contact with (laughs). If I were told in class that patients’ lives must be saved at all cost, I would find myself agreeing to do my best to extend and save their lives (laughs). On the other hand, though, if a teacher were to say that one role of doctors is to respect the wishes of patients and help them if they want to die, I couldn’t help but think to myself, “Oh, that makes sense” (laughs). I’m sort of wavering a little, but that’s how I feel now. Also, as a student this is my last chance to view doctors from a patient’s eyes, so I constantly try to keep myself aware of that fact. |
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| Does that mean before becoming a doctor you want to meet various types of doctors? |
| Yes, you could say that. Up until now, I have been treated by doctors at various hospitals, and I thought back to what things made me feel that they were good doctors. The first thing was not explaining things too much or prescribing excessive treatment. For example, some patients don’t trust doctors who talk a lot about how particular medicines or treatments will help or what kind of benefits they might have (laughs). It’s probably a good idea to explain a medicine or procedure, but I somehow lose confidence in the doctor. |
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| So a good doctor only answers a patient’s questions? |
| Yes. But I dislike assembly-line examinations. I remember feeling confidence in doctors who got me to talk first, diagnosed my ailment, and then told me what kind of treatment was available at that particular hospital. Rather than having me get treated there, the doctors recommended the treatment most appropriate for me, and first explained only necessary matters such as the length and cost of treatment. In the end, they listened to all the questions I had. |
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| That’s a good approach. |
| There’s one more point I would like to add. I like doctors who have absolute confidence in their diagnosis and treatment, saying for instance, “Don’t worry, you’ll be okay, you’ll be okay” (laughs), even though that could also become an aspect of a kind of bad doctor. Anyway, such doctors who were somehow cheerful, but not heroic, made me feel there was nothing seriously wrong with me. |
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| So doctors should make their patients feel confident in them? |
| Yes, they should. I like such doctors because they seem to be broad-minded. Anyway, those are the two main points for now. Let me also mention my experience in playing basketball in junior high school and high school. Sometimes I’d sprain an ankle or something and often see an orthopedist. My legs seemed to not be strong by nature, and the doctor did not hesitate to tell me that I was not cut out for basketball (laughs). In a sense, he wasn’t the least bit diplomatic, but I also thought he was unique and interesting. He knew medicine, explained problems clearly, and told me to ask him any questions I might have. So he was open-minded. I liked that. |
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| You probably like candid doctors because they fit your personality. |
| Yes, different people probably like different types of doctors. And it’s likely pretty difficult for doctors themselves to adapt their style to each patient. Although I think it’s possible for doctors to believe in not having a consistent style, I think it would be quite a difficult thing to do. |
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