My hardworking parents endeavored putting up the first Japanese restaurant in the middle of North Dakota. Their effort paid well as the restaurant gained patronage among locals who were searching for ethnic food. Our restaurant is the only alternative to a taco stand, which also offers hamburgers. I and my brother have always been reminded by our parents with this piece of advice: “perfection is in the details”.
As a youngster, that reminder has always haunted me. I’ve always thought that perfection is a whole thing, a complete set, and not just another piece of a jigsaw puzzle. Later in life, I began to realize that perfection is achieved only by hard work put in every detail of anything. I then became an ardent believer of this maxim. Details make the difference between a work well done and a work done because of mere compliance. You can tell who have done better by examining the fine aspects in greater detail.
While I agree that nothing could be considered perfect in the real world, what I learned from my parents has inspired me to achieve my work to a state that is nearly perfect, such as in my passion for vintage car repair, wine making and medicine. Such fields necessitate precision and greater attention to details, where one can easily spot what is a masterpiece and disastrous failure.
As I have reached a point in my career in medicine where choosing a residency program to shape my specialization, my parent’s advice helped me learn more about the options available. I already have a good idea of what kind of doctor I am going to be. But as I immersed myself deeper into the experiences of people who have been in these fields for years, I became eager to discover more. The focus of my search is reconstructive plastic surgery – a field that requires dedication, a broad knowledge and creativity. Knowing precisely what I wanted, I feel my inclinations are suited to it.
This inclination was honed with many years of reconstructing vintage cars, an advantage that made my resume comprehensive. The field of reconstructive medicine blends well with my dedication to improve my skills in transforming what others see as ugliness into a work of beauty. My goal as a reconstructive surgeon is to show my patients that there is hope even when there is despair. I would be very glad to be there to bind all efforts from all concerned, mainly the patient, to show the right path to achieve relief.
Having grown up in a Japanese speaking county in North Dakota as an immigrant, I know that the experience coping with all the difficulties in assimilation taught me the ability to deal with patients coming from diverse cultures. Among us immigrants in this place is a common experience, that feeling of “otherness”. This experience drives me to work hard to make my patients feel comfort and assurance that they are receiving the best care available. I consider my residency as a next level of learning experience, anticipating that it will lead to a tremendous impact in my career.
Photo Credit : one man’s perspective
