Graduate Student Profile: Makoto Kaneko
Graduate Name: Makoto Kaneko
Year of completion: 2021
Supervisor(s): Research Project: Drs. Evelyn Vingilis. Tom Freeman, Maria Mathews
Major Essay: Dr. Maria Mathews
Research Project Title:
Systematic scoping review of factors and measures of rurality: toward the development of a rurality index for health care research in Japan
Major Essay Title:
Can doing house calls prompt family physicians to deliver patient-centered care?: pros and cons
Tell me a little about you.
I am a family physician in Japan. In Japan, Family Medicine is a relatively young discipline. So, I would like to foster family physicians and family medicine researchers for Japanese primary care.
Where were you born and raised?
Tokyo, Japan.
What degree(s) do you have, and from what universities?
I have a MD (Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Japan) and a PhD (Medicine, Jikei University School of Medicine, Japan)
Where do you practice medicine and in what scope? What are your research interests?
I work on a small, isolated island in Okinawa, Japan. I am interested in rural health and rural general practice.
What special interests or hobbies do you have?
I like reading books and going camping!
Why did you choose to pursue a MCISc/PhD in the Department of Family Medicine at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry?
The Department of Family Medicine in this university is the most traditional family medicine department in North America and there are many great alumni all over the world.
Is there an experience of your time in the program that stands out for you, an “ah hah” moment?
Before joining the MClSc program I did not know Family Medicine outside Japan. However, through the program, I understand how we as family physicians have similar enjoyment and difficulty in clinical practice.
How do the writings and the person of Dr. Ian McWhinney influence your work in your career overall?
During my family medicine residency, even on an isolated island, I learnt a lot from Dr. McWhinney’s Textbook of Family Medicine through reading the book with colleagues online.
What has been your greatest experience to date in your teaching / research career?
Meeting many wonderful colleagues and teachers in the program is the greatest memory during my career.
What are your thoughts about the patient-centred clinical method as it relates to teaching, research and clinical practice?
The method is a great framework to understand the patient’s illness and background. Also, the method allows me to teach the core of Family Medicine to learners.
What MClSc / PhD learning have you incorporated into your family medicine practice as a result of the program?
After the course, I utilized the knowledge about teaching such as feedback or instructional design to teach medical students and residents. The experience in “Teaching and Learning in Family Medicine” is a very big turning point for me regarding teaching in a clinical and academic setting.
Tell us about your experience in developing your research idea for your thesis / RP/ME.
As I wrote above, I practice on a small island. I love rural general practice very much. Although I would have liked to conduct clinical research for rural areas, there were no appropriate definitions or measures of rurality for clinical research in Japan. It was my major motivation for the research project.
Please describe the role of your supervisor in completing your thesis work, RP / ME.
My supervisor, Prof. Evelyn Vinigils, is a really really, warm and supportive person. I learnt not only knowledge but also attitude as a researcher/educator from her. My other supervisors Prof. Thomas Freeman and Prof. Maria Mathews, also understood my situation as an international student and helped me to proceed with the project. Also, I truly appreciate the great support from Prof. Judy Brown. She is like my mom in Canada.
Has your teaching / research changed as a result of the MClSc / PhD program?
Yes, absolutely! I learned the basics of teaching and research of Family Medicine through the program.
What would you consider the single most important benefit of the MClSc / PhD program?
I met a lot of colleagues, supervisors and mentors in the course. The experience is my asset.
Anything further you would like to add or share?
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=dj1BAckAAAAJ&hl=ja
Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Makoto-Kaneko-5
