My Mentor and Academic Conferences | Shohei Onishi (Dean, Graduate School of Health Management)
2007.12.27
I gave my first research presentation at an academic conference when I was a newly graduated doctor with little clinical experience. It was a case report on a rare heart condition called double-chambered right ventricle. This was 31 years ago, but I remember it vividly.
This is a disease where a part of the muscle that makes up the right ventricle becomes abnormally thick, dividing what should be a single chamber into two. This causes an excessive functional load on the right ventricle. The reason this was a new report was that we were able to diagnose the condition by using two methods: one that visualized the inside of the right ventricle using a contrast agent, and a special method involving a catheter—a tube with a microphone at its tip—inserted into the heart. We recorded the heart sounds produced by blood flowing through the pulmonary artery, right ventricle, and right atrium, and confirmed a murmur within the right ventricle that should not normally be present.
This was a cardiac catheterization procedure that required quite advanced skills for a rookie doctor who had just graduated. Perhaps because I was good with my hands, I mastered the catheter manipulation in a very short time. Senior surgeons around me would tell me, "It's a waste to keep you in internal medicine," and I was over the moon.
However, while my technical skills were adequate, my knowledge of the finer points of cardiac anatomy was still lacking. During the Q&A session after my presentation, I was utterly embarrassed as I struggled, completely unable to understand what I was being asked. My debut at the academic conference was a complete disaster.
Thanks to the support of my seniors, who watched over me warmly, it was a debut that taught me I needed to be more humble.
Since then, I have attended countless academic conferences, but these days, I am no longer the one presenting. My role has shifted to mentoring young doctors, and I am keenly aware of how times have changed.
(Date of publication: 2007/12/27)