[No. 176] Takaaki Ishikawa

Thank you for this opportunity to contribute to the Alumni Relay Column.

I am currently enrolled in graduate school while also working as a physician in the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Tsukuba Hospital. I have taken an unusual path, transitioning from the Faculty of Science and Technology to becoming a physician, and I hope that those considering their future careers will see this as one possible path.

I entered Keio University from high school and was a member of the Basketball Team. Free from the pressures of entrance exams, I devoted myself to club activities to the point where I have almost no other memories, and even now, I feel I've never had a more rigorous (or enjoyable?) life. For my career path, I chose the Faculty of Science and Technology without hesitation because I loved science subjects, especially physics.

The mathematics and physics I studied in the Faculty of Science and Technology felt more difficult than what I had learned up to high school, but I found myself thinking deeply about single topics more often and came to enjoy the process of thinking more than finding the answers. As for my department, I chose the Department of Applied Physics and Physico-Informatics, where I could study a wide range of fields from the fundamentals to applications. When choosing my department, I had a vague idea of pursuing a career in the medical engineering field, but by the time I was thinking about my laboratory assignment, I had come to believe that having a medical license would be useful in the future, regardless of whether I approached things from an engineering or medical sciences perspective.

I chose my laboratory because I enjoyed experiments and, above all, I was drawn to the personality of Professor Masanori Matoba, who said he wanted to send interesting talent out into the world, so I joined the Matoba Laboratory. In the lab, there were no barriers between senior and junior students or with faculty members; we freely exchanged ideas, held discussions, and pursued our research. My life at Keio University, from high school through graduate school, was a wonderful time where we respected each other as independent individuals and mutually inspired one another.

Since I already held bachelor's and master's degrees, I took the transfer admission examination for the School of Medicine and Medical Sciences at the University of Tsukuba and was admitted to its School of Medicine. At the time, the University of Tsukuba was the only national university in Japan with a proton beam therapy system, which was also used for applications in basic biological experiments. After transferring, under the guidance of Professor Koji Tsuboi (formerly a professor at the Proton Medical Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, and currently the Director of the Cancer Center at Tsukuba Central Hospital), I was able to conduct experiments alongside students in the doctoral program. The cells I was working with at the time were derived from brain tumors, and experiencing the human brain and its intricacies firsthand during my clinical clerkship in neurosurgery led me to choose neurosurgery as my specialty.

After successfully obtaining my medical license and completing my initial clinical training, I joined the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Tsukuba and am currently working as a neurosurgeon at the University of Tsukuba Hospital. I also wished to pursue graduate studies, and my request was granted, so I have been enrolled in a Doctoral Program since this academic year. While balancing clinical practice and research can be challenging, I lead a busy yet fulfilling life every day.

I have had the privilege of belonging to two universities, Keio University and Tsukuba, and I was surprised by how different their atmospheres are. However, at both institutions, I was blessed with wonderful people and was able to do what I love. Since I have been given the opportunity to pursue my passions, I want to strive to give back to society, even in a small way, in the future. I would also be delighted if, in the future, I have the chance to meet and connect with those who have read this rambling, poorly written piece, whether as Keio University alumni, physicians, or in the field of research.