これまでの経歴と現在の仕事内容を教えてください。

もともと医療職に興味があり、中学生の頃に臨床検査技師という仕事を知りました。医師や看護師のように患者さんと直接触れ合う仕事だけでなく、患者さんに会う機会は少なくても医療に貢献できる「縁の下の力持ち」のような仕事があることを知り、その方が自分の性格に合っていると思いました。オープンキャンパスの夜に行われた先輩方との懇談会で、東北大学の雰囲気や先輩方のキラキラしている姿を見て憧れ、2016年に東北大学医学部保健学科検査技術科学専攻に進学し、東北大学病院病理部に入職しました。
現在は、病理検査技師として病理組織標本や術中迅速組織標本の作製業務、病理解剖業務に加えて、2024年に細胞検査士資格を取得し、細胞診標本作製やスクリーニング業務も行っています。

Please tell us about your career up to now and the content of your current work.

I always had an interest in becoming a medical professional, and while I was at junior high school I found out about the work of clinical laboratory technicians. I discovered that it was not a job like a nurse or physician in which one is directly involved with patients, but more of an “unsung hero” occupation through which it is possible to make a contribution to medical care even though there are few opportunities to meet patients. I felt that this sort of work was best suited to my personality. At the informal meeting with my seniors at the open campus held one evening, I was attracted by the atmosphere of Tohoku University and impressed by how confident and inspiring the students seemed. In 2016 I entered the Department of Medical Laboratory Science, School of Health Science, Tohoku University School of Medicine, and later joined the Pathology at Tohoku University Hospital.
Currently, I am working as a medical technologist in pathology, creating histopathological and frozen section specimens, as well as assisting with autopsies. Having become a certified cytotechnologist in 2024, I now also prepare cytological specimens and perform cytological screening.

病理の仕事を目指す後押しになった出来事はありますか。

大学受験の年に放送されていた「フラジャイル」というマンガ原作のドラマを見たことです。センター試験やAO入試真っただ中ではありましたが、両親が「お前が就きたいと言っていた仕事のことじゃないか？受験の気分転換にどうだ」と薦めてくれて、病理の世界について知ることとなりました。その中に登場する臨床検査技師が1人で5人分の仕事をこなす「スーパー臨床検査技師」で、私もそのようになりたいと思いました。その後、細胞検査士という診断業務に携わることもできる仕事があると知り、自分の働きが少しでも患者さんのためになるならと思い、細胞検査士の資格取得を目指しました。

Did anything happen that oriented you toward working in pathology?

Yes, it was watching a TV drama based on a manga called Fragile, during the year of my university entrance examination. It was right in the middle of the National Center Test for University Admissions examination and the Admissions Office entrance examination but my parents recommended it saying “Isn’t this drama about that job you want to do? Why don’t you watch it to take a break from studying?” That is how I found myself drawn into the world of pathology. The story featured a “super clinical laboratory technician” who single-handedly did the work of five people, and I was inspired to pursue the same path. After that, I learned about the profession of a cytotechnologist, which enables involvement in diagnostic work, and hoping that my work would be of some help to patients, I set out to become a certified cytotechnologist.

東北大学病院に入職したのはどんな理由からですか。

仙台が過ごしやすい所だったのが一つと、大学病院という組織で働くことでさまざまな症例などを経験できると考えたからです。もともとは研究の基礎も学べるという理由から大学院に進学しようと考えていたのですが、大学3年時の東北大学病院臨地実習で、臨床検査技師さんの仕事ぶりが格好良く見え、私も早く社会の一員として働きたいという思いが強くなり、そのまま就職しました。

Why did you decide to start working at Tohoku University Hospital?

One was the easy way of life in Sendai, and the other was because I thought that by working at an organization like a university hospital I would be able to experience all sorts of cases. Originally, I was thinking about pursuing graduate studies to learn the fundamentals of research. However, during the Tohoku University Hospital clinical practice programs held in my third year at the university, I was impressed by the way the clinical laboratory technicians worked, and my desire to start working as a member of society as soon as possible grew stronger. This led me to begin my career immediately after graduation.

現在の仕事で大切だと思うこと、心がけていることは。

現在の仕事で大切なことは、焦らずに一つ一つの仕事を確実にこなすことと、常により良い業務遂行のためにどうすればよいかという視点を持ち続けることです。「焦りこそ最大のトラップだ」という某有名アニメの名言を胸に、責任感を持って日々の仕事に取り組んでいます。また、病理部には毎日たくさんの検体が来ますので、限られた時間の中で業務をこなさなければいけません。時間をかければ誰でもできることを「質を保ちながらいかに効率的にできるのか」を考えて、上司に相談しながら、自分のやり方を見直していくように心がけています。

What do you think is important and what do you take care with in your current job?

What is important about my current job is to calmly complete each and every task, and to continuously maintain a perspective of what I should do in order to execute my duties even better. With the famous words from a certain anime of “impatience itself is the biggest trap,” etched on my mind, I approach my work on a daily basis with a sense of responsibility. Furthermore, since a large number of specimens arrive at the Pathology each day, I have to perform my work within a limited space of time. I think about just how efficiently and while maintaining quality I can perform tasks that anyone else could do if they spent enough time on them, and take care to constantly review the way I work while consulting with my senior colleagues.

今後の目標について聞かせてください。

まずは普段の業務において、病理医がより診断しやすい標本を作製する、細胞診のスクリーニング精度を向上させるなど、業務内容の質的向上を図ることです。将来的には、その他の資格も取得していきたいと考えています。私はマルチタスクが苦手なタイプなので、苦労することは分かっていますが、不器用な人間なりに愚直に物事に取り組んでいきたいと思います。

Please tell us about your goals for the future.

First of all, in the course of my usual work, I aim to improve the quality of my work by preparing specimens that pathologists can diagnose more easily, and by improving the accuracy of cytological screening. In the future, I would like to acquire some more certifications. I am the type who is not very good at multitasking so I’m aware of the struggles ahead, but I want to approach things simply and honestly despite my awkwardness.

趣味や最近ハマっていることは？

料理が得意で、得意料理は煮物、だし巻き卵、みそ汁などの和食です。祖母が料理上手だったこともあり、ほとんどの料理は作ることができますが、YouTubeの料理動画などを見て、さらにレシピ数を増やせるように頑張っています。大好きなアニメ「ハイキュー‼」や「名探偵コナン」などのグッズ収集にもハマっています。
最近はダイエットとストレス発散のために、キックボクシングを始めました。グローブを着けると性格がかなり好戦的になってしまいますので、皆さんにその姿をお見せすることは、はばかられますが…。

What are your hobbies and things that you are into recently?

I am a good cook, and my specialties are Japanese dishes like boiled food, Japanese omelets and miso soup and so on. My grandmother was a great cook, so I can make most dishes but I also look at cooking videos on YouTube and am trying to widen my repertoire. I am also into collecting goods related to my favorite anime, Haikyu!! and Detective Conan.
Recently I started to do kick boxing to stay in shape and relieve stress. When I put those kick boxing gloves on, I become surprisingly fierce, so I draw the line at showing people what I look like in that mode!