Scientific Program Committee welcomes new members!

New members are joining on!

Hi all,

I am very pleased to introduce the members of Scientific Program Committee (SPC). Nine new members joined the SPC. Please keep in mind these wonderful members.

Best regards,

PRC member Takamasa Miyauchi MD

Scientific Program Committee

Sugihiro Hamaguchi MD, MSc, PhD, DTMH, FACP

Institution
Fukushima Medical University

Department/Division
General Internal Medicine

Job Title
Professor

Message
Think rich, look poor.

Scientific Program Committee

Eiichiro Sando MD

Institution
Kameda Medical Center

Department/Division
General Internal Medicine

Job Title
Deputy Chief

Scientific Program Committee

Sho Sasaki MD, DrPH

Member

Institution
Aso Iizuka Hospital

Department/Division
Nephrology/Clinical Research Support Office

Job Title
Chief physician/Chief advisor

Message
Step by step

Hiroyasu Nakano MD

Member

Institution
Kawasaki Municipal Tama Hospital

Department/Division
Department of medicine, division of gastroenterology and hepatology

Job Title
Assitant professor

Message
I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward (from Thomas A. Edison).

Scientific Program Committee

Yuki Kaji MD

Member

Institution
The University of Tokyo

Department/Division
School of Public Health

Job Title
Graduate Student (MPH)

Message
"To become a doctor implicitly places us on the side of those who believe the world can change (By Jonathan Mann)

Scientific Program Committee

Hiroyoshi Iwata MD, MSc

Institution
Tokyo Jikei medical university

Department/Division
Clinical Epidemiology

Job Title
Phd　candidate

Message
Every cloud has a silver lining

Scientific Program Committee

Yuka Kitano MD

Member

Institution
St.Marianna University School of Medicine, Yokohama Seibu Hospital

Department/Division
Emergency Medicine

Job Title
Assitant Professor, Physician

Message
Always think what's best for the patient.

Scientific Program Committee

Miho Tagawa MD, PhD

Member

Institution
Nara Medical University

Department/Division
Nephrology

Job Title
Clinical Fellow

Message
Heaven helps those who help themselves.

Scientific Program Committee

Urara Nakagawa MD, B.Ed.

Member

Institution
Sapporo Tokushukai Hospital

Department/Division
Primary center

Job Title
Vice-president

Message
Let it be

September 20, 2018March 7, 2019

Seeking for opportunities in India

Saiseikai Shiga Hospital Division of Nephrology

Tetsuya Makiishi, MD, FACP, FASN

The 3^rd American College of Physicians India Chapter Congress was held from August 31^th to September 2^nd in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state in India. The theme of the congress was “Practicing wellness to prevent illness”. On behalf of the International Exchange Program Committee (IECP) at the ACP Japan Chapter, Dr. Tsutsumi and I participated this meeting.

Leaving home early in the morning of August 30, we arrived in Lucknow in the middle of the night. It became the next day when we got to a hotel after a short drive from the airport. It was a muggy night. We could see a couple of cows roaming on the street from a car window. The hotel was located alongside a main street, and had extensive grounds surrounded by tall fences. There were several security guards in front the gate, who asked a few questions to a driver and checked inside the trunk before our car got to the building. Despite after a long travel and coziness of the room, I couldn’t fall asleep easily. I mused over the days I spent in India 26 years ago.

The reason why Dr. Tsutsumi and I came to India originated from a short conversation with Dr. Muruganathan, the Governor of the ACP India Chapter, at the ACP Japan Chapter meeting held in Kyoto, back on June this year. At that time, and until now, the members of the IECP have been discussing what new programs and seminars it could offer. Through the discussion, the idea of an exchange externship program with international chapters of the ACP (chapters outside the United States) came across, and it seemed really nice to us. Having heard that the Governor of the India Chapter was being invited to the meeting, I talked to him to convey the idea at the reception revenue.

“Sounds great. No problem, I think. Let’s do it.” He replied quickly with a big simile on his face.

To be honest, I didn’t expect that things went well so easily. The next day I emailed him a thank-you note. The day after next he replied me to invite me to the India Chapter annual meeting to be held three months later. Actually, I have ever been to India 26 years ago. It was when I was a medical college student. Back in 1992 summer, I backpacked across India for a month on my own. The experience I had during the travel was so impressive, or more correctly put, it was so shocking that it has been a part of my life since then. So, when I read the mail, I definitely thought it was an opportunity I could not miss. After exchanging several emails regarding the schedule and a content of the lecture they want us to deliver in the meeting, Dr. Tsutsumi and I were finally and formally invited to participate in it. I was assigned a talk on the following topic: Is microalbuminuria an indication for RAAS blockade therapy in patients with normal blood pressure? My summer of 2018 was spent preparing for it.

The congress was really great. All sessions were held in English. The topics covered were ranging widely, from clinical research conducted by medical students to up-to-date, clinically relevant theme presented by professors from both inside and outside India. There were also a webinar presented by three physicians from Mayo Clinic, the theme of which was the role of the hospitalist in this day and age. I was amazed by their eagerness to learn the problems that we face and discuss how to deal with them by sharing information with half a dozen invited physicians from abroad. They were from the United States, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, and Japan. In fact, the panel discussion entitled “Challenges and solutions of medical practice” held for this purpose was I thought one of the highlights of this congress. Dr. Tsutsumi participated as one of panelists and commented clearly and sharply about the issues Japan faces. He also did a perfect presentation in his lecture about Japanese medicine in overaging society.

Furthermore, we really appreciated their hospitality. There was a buffet-style reception dinner on the second day of our stay. It was a warm and cozy atmosphere. All participants were talking each other in a relaxed mood. We had a fun time talking with other participants and enjoying a little spicy Indian food. During our stay in India, every single participant and organizer was always nice and kind to us. India warmly welcomed me back.

The experience we had with distinguished colleagues in the India Chapter will be valuable assets to the IEPC. Besides being able to deepen the friendship with them, we could understand the health care environment in India and could also inspect the situation of a big city in India from security perspective, for the planned exchange externship program between the two chapters. Based on them, the IEPC now starts to prepare for its success.

I would like to end my report by showing appreciation to all the people who were involved in my attendance to the congress, to the members of the IECP, to my colleagues in Japan, and to my family. Namaste!

Tetsuya Makiishi, MD, FACP, FASN

August 14, 2018October 27, 2018

Report from Dr Masao Nagayama about ACP 2018 and being a member of FACP

In participation to the ACP Convocation as a new FACP

Chair, Local Nomination Committee, ACP Japan Chapter

Professor, Department of Neurology

International University of Health and Welfare Graduate School of Medicine

Masao Nagayama, MD, PhD, FAAN, FACP, FNCS

Thanks to present and past Governors of the ACP Japan Chapter and Chair of the Credentials/Membership Committee, I could be a new FACP at the ACP Internal Medicine Meeting 2018 at New Orleans this April.

I am most honored to be a FACP because I used to point out the needs of broader coverage of patients and illnesses in the clinical practice, in contrast to the research activities. In my case, I am always trying to be a physician, and a generalist, rather than an internist, rather than a neurologist, rather than a critical care neurologist. Also, I am most pleased to be a FACP because I was involved in the project of the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine for the translation of the ABIM/ACP/EFIM Physician Charter and Medical Professionalism in 2002, and also in the project of creating the Physician Charter in Japan.

I would like to specific contribute to the ACP and ACP Japan Chapter as a FACP and a FAAN (Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology).

July 2, 2018July 14, 2018

Doctor’s Dilemma in ACP Japan Chapter Annual Meeting 2018 (2)

Dr. Uchiyama and I joined Doctor’s dilemma on behalf of our hospital. Doctor’s dilemma is one of the most popular part of Japan chapter, which is held every year in Kyoto. Luckily, We could win the championship. This article will be a simple report of my experience. It would be my pleasure if you get a rough image of what ACP Dr’s dilemma is and get interested in it.

Doctor’s dilemma is so called medical knowledge competition. Residents from many hospitals join it in pairs. More and more teams are taking part in it every year. The winner will be given the chance to participate in Doctor’s dilemma held in USA.

Doctor’s dilemma is divided into two parts, Preliminary and Final. In the Preliminary, we used smartphones to answer the questions. The questions were not so difficult, which made us a little bit nervous as losing even one question would be deadly. Ten team passed the Preliminary, which included us.

The Final started after short break. We answered 25 question from 5 areas, GIM, ID, Collagen, Nephro and Hemo. The questions were very practical and connected directly to what we do every day. We finished 25 questions at the second place.

The final question was to diagnose the case. I felt a little bit awkward because I have never seen the disease. However, the case was so typical that we were able to give the right answer. The final question was special because we could bet points as we wanted. We bet all the points and got our score double. We succeeded in making comeback to win.

It was a good match. Many factors contributed to our win. One of the reasons I would like to emphasize is that we belong to Tokyo bay medical center. We bought MKSAP with help and we use it as a self assessment literally. Attending stuffs are also very educative and nice. They Kindly cheered for us on the day. I strongly recommend you come to our hospital.

Finally, I would like to thank everyone who helped holding the ACP Japan chapter. I expect Dr’s dilemma to be even more competitive next year.

Keisuke Takano

Tokyo Bay Urayasu Ichikawa Medical Center

June 28, 2018July 14, 2018

Doctor’s Dilemma in ACP Japan Chapter Annual Meeting 2018

I am honored to report that Dr. Takano and I won first prize in the American College of Physicians (ACP) Doctor’s Dilemma competition in Japan.

At first, my goal in joining the competition was simply to assess my skills as an internist. Since distinguished young doctors from all over Japan would be in the contest, I wanted to compare my abilities to theirs. However, with the support of my partner, Dr. Takano, I ended up winning the championship.

Several factors contributed to our victory. First, we prepared for the competition by working up many MKSAP questions to enhance our medical knowledge. Second, our teamwork might have been superior to that of other teams because Dr. Takano and I have been colleagues since we were junior residents. Above all, I believe that our success resulted from our day-to-day sincere attitude and strong passion for helping every patient we see in our hospital. Our success was cultivated in the excellent environment that the attending doctors in our hospital promote. The victory led me to conclude that our hospital is the ideal place to practice medicine and improve my skills as a physician.

I am quite excited about the chance to participate in the ACP Doctor’s Dilemma Final that will be held in Philadelphia in 2019. Since Japanese teams typically struggle in the tournament, our biggest goal is to win the first game. I have no doubt that we can do it. I look forward to it and will continue to brush up on my medical knowledge until then.

Finally, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the attending doctors who gave us the chance to join the competition, the friends who congratulated us, and my family who support me unconditionally.

Shuhei Uchiyama

Tokyo Bay Urayasu Ichikawa Medical Center

June 27, 2018July 14, 2018

Greetings from Dr. Ende (Immediate Past-President of ACP)

Impressions of Japan ACP Chapter Meeting 2018

Jack Ende, MD, MACP, Immediate Past-President, ACP

I was honored early in June to present a plenary talk on Professionalism and the College Update for the ACP Japan Chapter Annual Meeting 2018. The meeting was a great success. The topics presented ranged broadly across the practice of internal medicine, medical education, professional development, and, even, physical diagnosis. What left the greatest impression on me, however, was the theme of the meeting: “Mind and Arts as Essentials for Internists: Beyond Evidence and Technology.”

As Meeting Chair, Yugo Shibagaki, MD, FACP, so eloquently wrote in the program guide, “Patients’ needs are not only for medical treatment or cure, they’re also for relief and comfort, sincere attitude and sympathy, and for compassion of doctors and medical staff to listen to their mental as well as physical suffering.” Dr. Shibagaki continued, “Medical schools tend to teach only skills and knowledge, but not professional or affective attitude or mindfulness.”

What is mindfulness and how does mindfulness relate to practicing internal medicine?

Mindfulness can be defined as the psychological process of bringing one’s attention to experiences occurring in the present moment. It is a heightened sense of awareness of what is really happening. In our field, internal medicine, mindfulness is appreciating that a patient is sad or angry or confused – and doing something about these emotions, even if it is merely providing an empathetic comment. It is appreciating that a patient’s clinical situation is determined by their environment, their relationships, and their lived experiences – and then factoring those social determinants into the treatment plan. It is also the doctor recognizing within him or herself that, at least at that moment, the stress may be too intense, or the workload too great – and then taking steps to improve those unfavorable conditions.

I also appreciated the message of the program was intended to move us forward, not backward. This was clear from the subtitle: “Beyond Evidence and Technology,” calling attention to the word “beyond.” Mindfulness does not take us back, it moves us forward to a different level – I would say a higher level – of clinical expertise as internists.

The 2018 ACP Japan Chapter meeting was enormously successful, which is not at all surprising given the outstanding commitment and energy of the Chapter’s leadership, members and staff. The program demonstrated just how enriching medical practice can be, particularly when that practice goes beyond evidence and technology. I am grateful to have been part of the meeting.

June 27, 2018June 28, 2018

Why not pursue a global career path?

Why not pursue a global career path?

The International Exchange Program Committee

On the first day of ACP Japan Chapter annual meeting 2018 in Kyoto, the International Exchange Program Committee (IEPC) held a panel discussion-style luncheon seminar entitled “Why not pursue a global career path?” Although it was a nice and sunny Saturday noon, ideal weather for outing with friends or families, the venue was packed and filled with the energies of the audience. Most of them were seemingly clinical residents or medical students, but some senior clinicians were also attended. After introducing themselves and their career path briefly, five speakers told their story on why they recommend a global career path.

First speaker was Dr. Yamada, who is currently serving for his clinical residency in New York. He explains the difference in educational system for clinical residents between Japan and the United States. Dr. Yamada also mentioned how exciting it is to work with people with various backgrounds in the world’s most vibrant city, also known as a melting pot of races.

The second speaker was Dr. Mamiko Ohara from Kameda Medical Hospital. As reflecting back the days she was struggling to survive as a researcher from Japan among many talented scientists at a top-ranked research institution in the United States, she introduced the “Planned happened theory” by John D. Krumbolts. According to the theory, there are five things to keep in mind to make your dream come true; those are curiosity, persistency, flexibility, optimism, and risk taking. Dr. Ohara closed her remarks by quoting the following phrase, “You can accomplish more than eighty percent of what you cannot achieve with your earnest effort.” Next speaker was Dr. Mitsuyo Kinjo from Okinawa chubu Hospital. As a mother of three children, she told her experience on pregnancy, childbirth, and raising children while working as a clinical fellow at a hospital in New York. In addition, she stated that earning a master degree of public health during her stay in New York was a significant event not just because it was awesome to study at an academic graduate school abroad with people from many countries, but because the network she created at the school has been affecting her career since then. Dr. Yuko Takeda, from Juntendo University, took over the talk. Dr. Takeda, who spent about a half of her career abroad, focused her story on adult learning. She emphasized that studying abroad is not a privilege limited to young people because adult people can learn effectively about problems they face and they have experience that would be precious resource for them. Dr. Takeda also suggested that studying abroad with a child/children would definitely add more value than staying alone, in that you can encounter unique experience in parenting in foreign countries. The last speaker was Dr. Tsutsumi from Takatsuki Hospital. He provided detailed information on how to succeed in matching clinical residency programs in the United States based on his experience as a mentor for four Japanese young physicians, all of them are currently working as a clinical resident or a fellow in the United States. “All too often, they rush to apply to the programs as soon as they are eligible to apply and ended up failing. They have no clear strategy to success. I’ve been seeing so many cases like that.” He ended his speech by stating that getting into the United States residency program is still possible, and that potential applicants need to have a well-crafted strategy as well as passion.

In the discussion, one attendee asked panelists about their way to improve English speaking ability. Some panelists introduced their tips, and they all agreed that there is no end to learning English and that we do not need to pay too much attention to speak “correct” English. There was also a discussion on the scope of “global career path”. Dr. Takeda indicated, “Some people from foreign countries who are now living in Japan are in desperate need of medical care. Providing medical care to them or doing what we can do for them is another way to pursue a global career path.

At the end of the session, Dr. Kiyoshi Kurokawa, the founding Governor of ACP Japan Chapter, gave us a message that it is vitally important for all of us to see and feel the world outside Japan whenever we can, in order to lead a fulfilling career path in this ever changing world.

We hope that this seminar has provided each participant some insight into a globally oriented career path and would help them pursue it.

Acknowledgement: We really appreciate Dr. Yuko Takeda for her participation as a panelist and also for her thoughtful talk. We are also grateful to Dr. Kiyoshi Kurokawa and Dr. Shotai Kobayashi, the former Governor, for their attendance and their fabulous comments.

June 21, 2018November 5, 2018

Public Relations Committee welcomes new members!

New members joining on upcoming fiscal year!

Hi all,

I am very pleased to announce that our team is growing. Upcoming fiscal year, following four members will be joining us. Please join me in welcoming our new team members!

Best regards,

PRC chair Yasuo Oshima MD PhD FACP

Public Relations Committee

Member

Kiyoshi Shikino MD, PhD

Institution
Chiba University Hospital

Department/Division
General Medicine

Job Title
Project Assistant Professor

Message
Where there's a will, there's a way.

Public Relations Committee

Member

Mao Otake MD

Institution
Tokyo Medical and Dental University Hospital

Job Title
Resident

Message
We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (Corinthians 4:18)

Public Relations Committee

Member

Kazuhiro Yasuo MD, FACP

Institution
Sapporo Higashi Tokushukai Hospital

Department/Division
General Internal Medicine

Job Title
Director

Message
Be ambicious.

Public Relations Committee

Member

Tomokiyo Yamamoto MD

Institution
Aizawa Hospital

Department/Division
General Internal Medicine

Job Title
Chief

Message
Rome was not bulit in a day

June 20, 2018June 23, 2018

Report from HPPC/CMC committee.

The road to an FACP – Why and how do we aim for it? –

（Health and Public Policy Committee，Credential/Membership Committee joint project）

Yuhta Oyama, MD, FJSIM, FACP

Nihonkai General Hospital

Department of Internal Medicine

Division of Nephrology and Rheumatology

On the second day of ACP Japan Chapter Annual Meeting 2018, the morning of June 3, we held a session with the above title as a joint project between HPPC and CMC. Although there are 320 FACPs and 6 MACPs as of July 1, 2017 in the ACP Japan Chapter, it was because we had the intention to have more member become FACP by listening to answers to questions “ Why did they aim for Fellow? ”, “ What kind of difference can be seen in daily work by becoming Fellow? “, and “How do they want to act in the future? “

At the time of planning and submission, CMC was also planning a session to announce the procedure of Fellow application. Since the planning direction is the same, we decided to collaborate.

In the session, after opening remarks, we project the Convocation video which was held at ACP annual meeting (Internal Medicine). Prior to this project, we conducted a preliminary questionnaire using acp-exchange mailing list etc. Fellows and Masters were asked to answer in a questionnaire about the aim for Fellow and the change after becoming Fellow, and members were asked to answer in a questionnaire about the image of Fellow, whether they are aiming for Fellow, and whether they think that they would change themselves by becoming Fellow. So, after Convocation video presentation, we announced the results of the questionnaire and conducted a discussion based on the answer contents.

This time, Dr. Fumiaki Ueno (Governor, ACP Japan Chapter) and Dr. Kenji Maeda (Governor-Elect, ACP Japan Chapter) fortunately participated as a commentator. For that reason, clear focus was placed on this project, and a more meaningful message was conveyed to both the participants and the committee members as well (Dr. Ueno and Dr. Maeda, we thank you for taking the time to attend this session despite being busy during annual meeting). Although the motivation when respondents became Member or Fellow was various, we got impression that spiritual incentives such as pride, self-confidence, sense of responsibility, and so on, are given mental motivation to continue the occupation of a doctor by becoming Fellow.

After the discussion, there was a comment on the steps to apply for Fellow, and the session was summarized. Since the application procedure was explained in an easy-to-understand manner, for the participants, the method of acquiring Fellow became even clearer. Thank you very much for all the participants who had listened diligently.

We hope that more people aim for Fellow with this project as opportunity, but eventually, the two committees hope that number of members of ACP Japan Chapter will increase by repeating such a project.

June 19, 2018June 23, 2018

Welcome Five New Chairs

Dear Colleagues,

The activity of Japan Chapter is supported by voluntary work of committee members. As of 30 June, the chairs of 5 among 11 committees will accomplish their terms. I want to thank all outgoing chairs for their contribution. At the same time, I would like to welcome five new chairs.

Fumiaki Ueno, MD, MACP

Governor for ACP Japan Chapter

New Chairs:

Scientific Program Committee

Sugihiro Hamaguchi MD, PhD, ACP member

Chair

Institution
Fukushima Medical University

Department/Division
Department of General Internal Medicine

Job Title
Professor

Message
People don't buy what you do; they buy why you do it.

Local Nominations Committee

Masao Nagayama MD, PhD, FACP, FAAN, FNCS

Chair

Institution
International University of Health and Welfare Graduate School of Medicine

Department/Division
Department of Neurology

Job Title
Professor

Message
Never give up !

Resident Fellow Committee

Yoshito Nishimura MD, ACP member

Chair

Institution
Okayama University Hospital

Department/Division
General Medicine

Job Title
Clinical Fellow

Message
Respect, trust, and work with empathy and passion in mind.

International Exchange Program Committee

Tetsuya Makiishi MD, FACP, FASN

Chair

Institution
Saiseikai Shiga Hospital

Department/Division
Division of Nephrology and Dialysis

Job Title
Chief

Message
Think big, start small, move fast!

Credentials/Membership Committee

Koichiro Yuji MD, PhD, FACP

Chair

Institution
The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo

Department/Division
Project Division of International Advanced Medical Research

Job Title
Project Associate Professor

Message
The Singularity Is Near