TOMODACHI Generation: Dr. Yosuke Hosoya
Dr. Yosuke Hosoya is the first doctor who has been selected to participate in the TOMODACHI-Aflac Program. He is a doctor in the Department of Pediatrics at St. Luke’s International Hospital in Japan and is a graduate of Tohoku University. His areas of interest are childhood malignant tumors and cure for solid tumors.
Message from Dr. Yosuke Hosoya
January 22, 2014
Greetings from Atlanta. I am now more than four months into my TOMODACHI-Aflac Program experience and wanted to share with you an update of my time with the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
My initial intent after joining the Program was to attend as many conferences and work with as many physicians and patients as possible. At the Aflac Cancer Center, I’ve been able to do just that.
My daily routine is a good illustration: my first conference each day starts at 7 a.m. – usually an educational lecture, a Grand Rounds session, or a patient information exchange. Then I typically head to the cancer ward or the outpatient clinic.
At the cancer ward, I work with an attending physician, fellows, residents, nurse practitioners, assistant physicians, nurses, pharmacists, social workers and a chaplain. As a member of clinical team, each morning I attend multidisciplinary conferences about patients, make rounds of the ward and interact with patients. There are often evening conferences as well so the day is usually ends at 6 p.m. After that I am free to study, research, or enjoy some free time.
At the cancer ward, I work the attending physician, fellows, residents, nurse practitioners, and assistant physicians as they make the rounds and interact with patients. At some point each day I meet with ward staff, and often there is another conference in the afternoon. The day is usually ends at 5 p.m., and I am free after that to study, research, or enjoy some free time.
At the outpatient clinic, I encounter 6-10 patients each day. Most are undergoing treatment or are on follow-up visits. At the outpatient clinic, the attending physician leads a team consisting of fellows, residents, nurse practitioners, and assistant physicians. I have been surprised to see how much is done here on an outpatient basis, which is different from my experience in Japan.
Before departing Japan, I wondered how much I could learn in just six months, but being here has been a magnificent experience. As a case in point, spending just one week at a brain tumor clinic allowed me to meet with nearly 40 patients. And besides the clinical training, I have been able to engage closely with the secondary clinical research staff at the facility’s in-house data center. The data center staff have been incredibly supportive and I am grateful for all they have shared.
I have learned an incredible amount from both the cancer ward and the outpatient clinic. The dynamism of pediatric hematological cancer treatment here has left a deep impression on me.
Comments by Dr. Hosoya after being selected for the program
Starting June 2013, I will be participating in a half-year long TOMODACHI-Aflac Program to study childhood cancer in the U.S.
During this program, I would like to closely observe and learn how physicians handle childhood cancer in the U.S. by participating in conferences and medical examinations, and interacting with patients. When I return, I would like to reflect upon my experience and define methods of improvement for childhood cancer treatment in Japan.
I am a graduate of Tohoku University and so during my years in college, I lived in Sendai-shi, Miyagi. In addition, my grandmother, along with my aunt and uncle, reside in parts of the Tohoku region such as Sendai-shi and Yamagata Prefecture. Luckily, none of my close friends lost their loved ones, but still, they have gone through a horrendous experience.
Once I return from studying abroad, I would like to apply what I learned in the U.S. and enhance childhood cancer treatment in Tohoku and all of Japan.
