Boston Scientific Japan K.K.
Corporate Communications & Branding Department
Keiko Igarashi

Creating an opportunity to think about how to get involved in healthcare

When one thinks of medical personnel, the first people who come to mind are probably doctors and nurses. However, there are actually so many ways to get involved in healthcare, including researchers, medical clerks, and other professions, as well as manufacturers of medical devices and venture companies related to the health industry. Medical device manufacturers create a wide variety of medical devices that are involved in human health, and through their devices, they stay close to people throughout their lives. Boston Scientific Japan offers a Next Generation Program for elementary, junior high, and high school students with the hope of fostering "medical professionals," people who will be involved in medicine in some way in the future. For elementary school students, the company offers on-site classes that turn a sense of wonder into interest by allowing them to experience real medical equipment and learn how their own bodies work. For junior and senior high school students, the program offers forums where they can hear the real voices of people involved in various aspects of medical care, and is engaged in activities to link their interest to work.

At the root of the matter is "people"

The company's next-generation education began with "Family Day. In order to let the families of employees know what kind of work they are doing, they are given the opportunity to touch the medical equipment they produce, learn about diseases and the human body, and develop an interest in the subject. Through these activities, he realized the importance of companies communicating medical care to children. Later, through a hands-on medical device event for parents and children living in Nakano Ward, where the company's head office is located, employees began to talk directly to the children about the human body, illnesses, and treatment. The children's expressions of surprise and their curious interest in what they were hearing moved him. We felt that we had something we could share with people, from children to adults, based on our own knowledge," he said. Medical devices are certainly intended for people, but these "moments of human connection" provide people with new perspectives and trigger their interest and curiosity. Mr. Igarashi, who is in charge of traveling lectures and forums, also believes that new possibilities in the world of medicine can only be brought about through "people-to-people" connections.

People to people, now and thennext (year, etc.)

Boston Scientific Japan's mission is "to provide innovative treatments to improve the health of patients worldwide and make their lives more fruitful. As these words express, direct treatment is not the only way to be involved in healthcare. We want people to know that there is more than one way to be involved in healthcare. I want people to know that there is more than one way to be involved in healthcare, and that they should not narrow their options for their own future, but rather broaden their horizons while valuing their relationships with others," Igarashi says emphatically. I want people to know the importance of connecting with others in order to make their lives fruitful, and this will lead to the next generation who will be responsible for the future.