The drama "Doctor X: Surgeon Michiko Daimon" (TV Asahi) is a hot topic as the series that ran for 12 years has concluded with a movie version. The main character, genius surgeon Daimon Michiko, played by Ryoko Yonekura, is based on several people, one of whom is Tomoaki Kato, a professor of surgery at Columbia University Medical School in New York. A world authority on organ transplants, he was the first in the world to successfully perform the "multiple organ ex vivo tumor resection," which is depicted as Daimon's surgical technique in the drama. Kato will be appearing in the final episode of the drama "The Travel Nurse" (TV Asahi), which will air on December 19th at 9:00 pm. We spoke to Kato, who returned to Japan temporarily for filming, about the significance of medical professionals being involved in entertainment.
◇The level of medical care in Japan is truly amazing
"The Travel Nurse" is a sequel to the drama of the same name starring Masaki Okada, which aired in October 2022. An original work by Miho Nakazono, known for "Doctor X," the duo of freelance nurse "travel nurse" Ayumu Nasuda (Okada) and "super nurse" Shizuka Kuki (Takaichi Nakai) put patients first and reform the medical field.
--I heard that Nakazono was inspired by Kato's story when he wrote "The Travel Nurse."
I had a conversation with Nakazono-san during "Doctor X", and while we were exchanging various ideas, we talked about travel nurses. Then, Nakazono-san seemed to think that was a good idea. There are many freelance nurses in the United States. In fact, when New York was in trouble with the coronavirus, travel nurses from all over the United States played a major role.
- Were any experiences that Mr. Kato actually saw or heard incorporated into the episodes?
Rather than something I saw or heard, the story that was chosen was about a story I myself was helped by a nurse. I've recovered now, but four years ago I was infected with COVID-19 and became seriously ill, losing consciousness for four weeks... I was on the brink of death. Even after regaining consciousness, I spent some days in the ICU, and at that time I was terrified that phlegm would get stuck in my throat and suffocate to death. It was hard to speak, and it was difficult to convey that it was deep in my throat. When I was in trouble, a male nurse noticed me and stuck his finger in the back of my mouth to take it out. I felt the importance of nurses by putting myself in the patient's shoes.
--Shizu, played by Nakai, says, "Doctors find illnesses and cure them, while nurses look at people and cure them," and Shizu is a nurse who truly embodies those words.
Doctors inevitably spend less time with patients. In that sense, it's nurses who understand the patients best. When it comes to observing and understanding patients, I think they're probably much better than doctors.
-As a doctor working in the United States, what do you think about the level of medical care in Japan?
Japan's medical level is truly amazing. During the coronavirus outbreak, the term "medical collapse" was used in Japan, but in New York and Italy, there were not enough ventilators, and patients had to be selected based on whether or not they were put on a ventilator. Many people died as a result, and I think that was when the system completely collapsed. There is no need to belittle Japan. Japanese people are very strict about themselves (laughs).
However, there is one thing: Japanese medical care is "specialized for Japanese people." As we are a single ethnic group with almost the same body type and lifestyle, the diseases that develop tend to be similar. The level of specialized medical care is very high.
◇I hope it will become a series that will be loved for a long time like "Doctor X."
-What made you decide to appear on "The Travel Nurse" this time?
It wasn't anything grand, I've always had an interest in entertainment, so I simply wanted to appear in a TV drama (laughs). I had heard that it was a production born from my story, so I asked if I could appear in it, and they granted my request. When I say I appeared, I only appeared as an extra, but I was happy!
--It's a different experience, so were you nervous?
I wasn't nervous at all. The filming set was really natural and "just like a Japanese hospital." I spent my internship in Japan, so I know it's really like a hospital. And the cast members also had the same demeanor as real nurses, so maybe that atmosphere helped. There was nothing awkward about it.
- Mr. Kato, what do you think about medical professionals being involved in TV dramas and movies?
I think that many people learn about medical care through TV dramas and movies. I think that patients may see the treatment depicted there and turn to that medical care. I think that there is value in doctors being involved in entertainment as supervisors, so that many people can learn about the "possibilities of treatment" and the correct medical care.
I think that TV dramas and movies have an influence on people who want to become doctors. I have people who come to me and say, "I became a doctor after watching 'Doctor-X,'" and I think this drama has had a very positive influence on people who want to become nurses and those who are currently working with pride.
This is true for all of us in the medical profession, but it can be tough and there are many difficult times. But there are moments when it all pays off. I think entertainment is important because it lets you experience the excitement of those rewarding moments and gives you hope.
--Mr. Kato, are there any parts that you would like to see depicted more in Japanese medical dramas?
I think the hardest thing about medical workers in Japan is that they don't get paid much compared to how hard their work is. As a result, there are many talented people from medical schools who don't become doctors and go to consulting companies, so I think it would be interesting to have a drama that takes up that issue. In "Doctor X," they portrayed it in a slightly comical way (laughs).
-Finally, please tell us what you expect from "The Travel Nurse."
It's great that the role that nurses play in the medical field is being highlighted, so I hope that the series will continue with seasons 3 and 4. It's not that there aren't a lot of people who want to be nurses, but there is always a shortage of nurses. In that sense, I hope that this drama will become a long-loved series like "Doctor X."
