Saving patients through procedures and connecting them to the future of medicine through research.
Joined the Bureau in 2019
Hiroki Sawa
Sawa Hiroki
Q
Please tell us about your progress to date.
I went on to study medicine at Osaka University School of Medicine and was a member of the rugby club during my school days. Through my activities in the rugby club, I learned the importance of working toward a single goal as a team and the importance of working hard at one thing. I feel that this experience is the foundation of my way of thinking and attitude even now that I am working as a doctor.
After graduation, I did my initial and post-graduate training at Kansai Rosai Hospital and Osaka Rosai Hospital. I had a very fulfilling training experience at both hospitals and learned a lot as a clinician. I was able to gain a wide range of experience in emergency care, ward management, outpatient care, and procedures including endoscopy, which was a great learning experience.
Currently, I am also engaged in research at a graduate school. Through research, I am trying to think more deeply about the questions I have felt while dealing with patients in the clinical setting, so that I can give back to my practice in the future.
After graduation, I did my initial and post-graduate training at Kansai Rosai Hospital and Osaka Rosai Hospital. I had a very fulfilling training experience at both hospitals and learned a lot as a clinician. I was able to gain a wide range of experience in emergency care, ward management, outpatient care, and procedures including endoscopy, which was a great learning experience.
Currently, I am also engaged in research at a graduate school. Through research, I am trying to think more deeply about the questions I have felt while dealing with patients in the clinical setting, so that I can give back to my practice in the future.
Q
Please tell us about your reasons for joining the Bureau.
One of the reasons I chose gastroenterology was because I was attracted by the breadth of medical treatment. There are so many diseases covered, including gastrointestinal tract, hepatobiliary-pancreatic, inflammatory bowel disease, tumors, and emergency diseases, and while medical diagnostic skills are required, there is also a wealth of procedures, including endoscopic treatment.
In addition, through my initial and later training, I realized that gastrointestinal diseases are very common in the emergency setting. I was also attracted to the fact that as a gastroenterologist, I could contribute to a wide range of patients, as I had many opportunities to deal with urgent diseases such as abdominal pain, hematemesis/bleeding, cholangitis, and intestinal obstruction.
And the most significant trigger was the gastroenterology doctors I actually met. All of the gastroenterologists were very dedicated to their work, but at the same time, they were friendly and seemed to enjoy their work. Seeing this, I naturally thought, "I want to become a doctor like them in the future. In addition to my interest in the medical treatment, the fact that I could envision my future as a doctor in concrete terms was a major reason why I chose gastroenterology.
In addition, through my initial and later training, I realized that gastrointestinal diseases are very common in the emergency setting. I was also attracted to the fact that as a gastroenterologist, I could contribute to a wide range of patients, as I had many opportunities to deal with urgent diseases such as abdominal pain, hematemesis/bleeding, cholangitis, and intestinal obstruction.
And the most significant trigger was the gastroenterology doctors I actually met. All of the gastroenterologists were very dedicated to their work, but at the same time, they were friendly and seemed to enjoy their work. Seeing this, I naturally thought, "I want to become a doctor like them in the future. In addition to my interest in the medical treatment, the fact that I could envision my future as a doctor in concrete terms was a major reason why I chose gastroenterology.
Q
Tell us about what attracts you to gastroenterology.
The appeal of gastroenterology is the opportunity to experience both a wide range of medical care and a wealth of procedures. Gastrointestinal diseases are very diverse and range from general abdominal symptoms to inflammatory bowel disease, gastrointestinal cancer, hepatobiliary diseases, and emergency diseases. This allows you to develop your skills as an internist who treats the whole body.
On the other hand, the ability to be involved in diagnosis and treatment by actually working with one's own hands, such as in endoscopy and endoscopic treatment, is also a major attraction. I am able to be involved with patients from diagnosis to treatment and follow-up, and there are many situations in which my judgment and skills directly lead to patient treatment.
Gastrointestinal diseases are also frequent in the emergency department and are needed in a wide range of situations from acute to chronic. I feel that the department offers many opportunities for me to grow as a clinician because I can be involved in a wide range of areas, from routine care to specialized treatment and emergency response.
On the other hand, the ability to be involved in diagnosis and treatment by actually working with one's own hands, such as in endoscopy and endoscopic treatment, is also a major attraction. I am able to be involved with patients from diagnosis to treatment and follow-up, and there are many situations in which my judgment and skills directly lead to patient treatment.
Gastrointestinal diseases are also frequent in the emergency department and are needed in a wide range of situations from acute to chronic. I feel that the department offers many opportunities for me to grow as a clinician because I can be involved in a wide range of areas, from routine care to specialized treatment and emergency response.
Q
Tell us about your life in graduate school.
In graduate school, I can delve deeply into the questions I feel in my daily clinical practice through research. The process of confronting phenomena and theories that are not yet covered in textbooks and guidelines and trying to clarify the mechanisms behind them can be difficult, but it is very interesting.
Sometimes experiments and analyses do not proceed as expected, but there are moments when, while observing the phenomena in front of me, I feel that this may be the first time in the world that I have discovered something. At such moments, I feel a great sense of fulfillment that only research can provide. In the future, I would like to be able to return the findings from my research to patient care.
Although it is not easy to balance clinical practice and research, I feel that my graduate school experience is a valuable time for me to broaden my perspective as a physician.
Sometimes experiments and analyses do not proceed as expected, but there are moments when, while observing the phenomena in front of me, I feel that this may be the first time in the world that I have discovered something. At such moments, I feel a great sense of fulfillment that only research can provide. In the future, I would like to be able to return the findings from my research to patient care.
Although it is not easy to balance clinical practice and research, I feel that my graduate school experience is a valuable time for me to broaden my perspective as a physician.
Q
Message to Students and Residents
If you are at all interested in gastroenterology, please feel free to contact us. I believe that there is a lot of confusion when it comes time to decide on a specialty, and there are times when you are not sure if it is the right fit for you. This is when I think it is important to talk to doctors who are actually working and see what it is like in the field.
When choosing a department, it is of course important to think about the kind of practice you want to do and the fields in which you are interested. However, I think it is equally important to look at the atmosphere of the doctors in that department and imagine what kind of doctor you would like to become in the future. I myself was able to have a vision of my future by watching the doctors in the gastroenterology department, who were enthusiastic about their work but also seemed to enjoy their work.
In addition, in the medical field, I encounter many situations in which it is difficult to diagnose and respond to patients. At such times, the cases I have experienced in the past often help me to make good judgments, and I am keenly aware of the importance of having a large number of case experiences. When choosing a training hospital, I think it is important not to make a decision based solely on how busy or difficult it is, but also to choose an environment where you can experience a large number of cases without fear.
Gastroenterology is a department that offers a variety of challenges, including internal medicine thinking skills, emergency response, procedures, and research. It is no problem if you do not yet have a clear vision of your future when you are a student or a resident. By first working hard on the patients in front of you and on your daily training, I believe you will gradually discover your interests and the direction you want to go.
If you have any concerns or questions, please do not hesitate to ask. We look forward to working with you.
When choosing a department, it is of course important to think about the kind of practice you want to do and the fields in which you are interested. However, I think it is equally important to look at the atmosphere of the doctors in that department and imagine what kind of doctor you would like to become in the future. I myself was able to have a vision of my future by watching the doctors in the gastroenterology department, who were enthusiastic about their work but also seemed to enjoy their work.
In addition, in the medical field, I encounter many situations in which it is difficult to diagnose and respond to patients. At such times, the cases I have experienced in the past often help me to make good judgments, and I am keenly aware of the importance of having a large number of case experiences. When choosing a training hospital, I think it is important not to make a decision based solely on how busy or difficult it is, but also to choose an environment where you can experience a large number of cases without fear.
Gastroenterology is a department that offers a variety of challenges, including internal medicine thinking skills, emergency response, procedures, and research. It is no problem if you do not yet have a clear vision of your future when you are a student or a resident. By first working hard on the patients in front of you and on your daily training, I believe you will gradually discover your interests and the direction you want to go.
If you have any concerns or questions, please do not hesitate to ask. We look forward to working with you.