Name: Masahide Saito
Graduation year: 2015 (Master’s course)
Current affiliation: Department of Radiology, Yamanashi University School of Medicine
―A medical physics research laboratory that can experience many things at the top level in Japan―
I entered Kadoya’s laboratory with the aim of working at a hospital as a medical physicist in the future. At first, I was not interested in any specific research, but in the unique “frontier spirit” of the laboratory, I gradually became interested in various things and learned the basic ideas that now form the foundation of my thinking, such as analysis methods, ways of thinking, and paper writing methods that I did not know before. There were times when Assistant professor Kadoya asked me to do mysterious chores and I was exhausted, but I took it as a good social experience and now it is a good memory. However, since the times have changed, I think it would be better to do it moderately (laughs). While I was a student, every day was very fulfilling, but one thing I regret is that I wish I had been involved in more research involving my peers, seniors/juniors, and overseas researchers rather than just immersing myself in my own research. Therefore, for those who will be enrolled from now on, I hope you will actively participate in more research on your own. The relationship between the environment where research is conducted and the people you meet there is very important and I think it will greatly affect your future life. The Tohoku University Kadoya Laboratory is a top-class medical physics research laboratory in Japan with a solid vertical and horizontal connection that can conduct cutting-edge research. Those of you who are reading this article are also welcome to step into the world of medical physics through Tohoku University Kadoya Laboratory and work with us to revitalize Japan’s medical physics industry.
―Current job―
Immediately after completing my master’s program at graduate school, I moved to Yamanashi University. At that time, there was not a single full-time medical physicist at Yamanashi University (or in Yamanashi Prefecture), so I built an environment from scratch with zero experience. Although I was very anxious because I had no experience, with the warm support of the doctors and technicians around me, such as Professor Onishi of the Department of Radiology at Yamanashi University, I established various routine work such as high-precision radiation therapy planning work as a medical physicist and setting quality control items. Especially when we first implemented VMAT in Yamanashi Prefecture, we were trembling with excitement. In addition to clinical medical physics work such as planning high-precision radiation therapy plans on a daily basis, I am also involved in educating and researching medical students. In addition, I often work on creating various guidelines and jobs related to medical fee reimbursement. All of these teachers who have helped me are people who took care of me when I was studying at Tohoku University. Yamanashi University has many related hospitals and we also visit quality control and treatment planning assistance at radiation therapy facilities in Yamanashi Prefecture and Shizuoka Prefecture. One of the attractions of working as a medical physicist at a university hospital is that we can contribute greatly to equalizing radiation therapy in the region. I think that the role of a medical physicist varies depending on the facility and region where you work, but I think that it is a job with a sense of accomplishment. I hope to continue to improve day by day so that we can meet the needs of the site and become someone who can be relied on by other professions.”