午夜剧场

I graduated from the School of Medicine and became a doctor, but I only worked at a hospital for two years as a resident. Currently, I teach at the Graduate School of Business Administration (Business School). People are sometimes surprised when I introduce myself this way.

My family home was a private practice, so you could say healthcare is the family business. When I was a child, my monthly routine chore was to organize medical records and the documents used to claim medical expenses for insurance (receipts). At the time, we did not take money for consultations from elderly patients whose records were stamped with the character for "longevity" (this was back in the 1970s and 80s). I remember wondering where our family got its money from and feeling that we were quite different from other self-employed households.

My interest in the relationship between healthcare, money, and systems was rekindled during my university years. There was a professor specializing in medical economics in the Faculty of Economics at the same university, and I audited their graduate seminar. I quickly learned that economics is not just about thinking about money, and I found it fascinating to consider healthcare from a completely different perspective than that of the School of Medicine. Since entering the Graduate School of Economics, I have continued my education and research within economics and management departments.

When people hear the term "medical economics," they might imagine research into medical costs or improving the management efficiency of medical institutions. While analyzing such medical services is important, medical economics is called "Health Economics" in English. This name conveys an attitude that places the health sought by us consumers at the center of research, viewing medical care as one of the means to improve health.

Of course, there are many times when medical services are the most effective way to improve health. In these instances, we are consumers. However, when we consider things like paying attention to exercise and diet, or nursing and caring for family members, we can also be seen as producers who are creating health for ourselves and our families. Combining professional care with self-care to actively seek health is another aspect of who we are.

Since last year, I have also been serving as a committee member for the Graduate School of Health Management. In addition to business professionals, I have had more opportunities to learn alongside healthcare providers. I hope to continue thinking about health from the perspectives of both professional medical care and the consumer.