Humanity ＆ Empathy in Medicine
Hideyo Noguchi (1876-1928), a distinguished Japanese bacteriologist, who journeyed the world while overcoming much adversity.
He suffered a severe burn on his left hand at the age of one and half. Triggered by the surgery for him, he woke up to the wonders of medicine and inspired to be a doctor of medicine.
He was born in a poor small village, but he managed to go to the U.S. alone with the support of many people. He obtained a position as a research assistant with Dr. Simon Flexner at the University of Pennsylvania and later at the Rockefeller Institute of Medical Research. Never defeated even by his unfortunate environment, he diligently devoted himself to studying without sleep or rest and raised his reputation as a bacteriologist. During the research of yellow fever in Africa, he was infected with the yellow fever himself and died at just age of 51. He had been holding his passion for the development of vaccine and medical treatment until then.
Commemorating his achievements, Noguchi Medical Research Institute was established in 1983 at Philadelphia where Dr. Hideyo Noguchi was associated with the University of Pennsylvania. We started our challenging in hopes of having other successors for Dr. Hideyo Noguchi.
People have a feeling of awe for doctors only because they are what they are. Widespread such an authoritarianism exists in the field of medicine in Japan. Here medical treatments and medicine in general are significantly behind those of the U.S. or Europe. Being concerned about all those situations, our goal is to change doctors’ behavior and mentality itself.
What we aim for is “Medical treatment that puts patients satisfaction”.
A doctor should not only acquire medical knowledges and techniques but also should show compassion for the patient to look after human as him/her. Staying with the patients on their side, understanding their pain and sufferings, with the rich sensitivity like we understand and learn arts. Doctors should practice such humanity and never forget it.
To foster the doctor who can say “Trust me and let me treat your disease” with all his/her heart, we are supporting students to study in the U.S. where patient first medical care is practiced as Humanity and Empathy in Medicine. We are supporting the creation of an environment where students can acquire a mind required for the most advanced medicine and the true medical professional.
What is required for the future?
What is required is “team-oriented“ medical treatment where doctors, nurses, pharmacists, registered dietitians, various field therapists, and medical social workers can cooperate together in the equal standing and respect. In addition, to foster a generalist doctor who can deal with any symptom and situation as well as be a specialist.
To realize these, we as Noguchi Medical Research Institute staffs are also pouring our efforts into developing education systems, training programs, holding symposiums, seminars and workshops.
Establishing the spirit of “Medical treatment that puts patients first”, “Humanity ＆ Empathy in Medicine” in Japan, we are aiming at changing the atmosphere in the hospital and healthcare environment. We continue our activities while having faith and spirit that the medical treatment of Japan will grow from these things.