Sweet Orange May 2024 Page 3

Fascinated by the niche world of prosthetics-Mizutani, HiromiMy work includes general production of trunk orthoses and scoliosis braces,production of some prosthetics and orthoses, hospital sales, clinic sales,children's hospital sales, nighttime clinic sales, home sales, and sales at facilitiesfor disabled people (nursing homes with nursing care, retirement home, grouphomes, day service centers, psychiatric facility, facilities for the mentally handicapped, medical facilities for children with disabilities, etc.). My work includedmolding, measuring, design, temporary fitting, and delivery. What I consideredimportant was to understand what each prescribing doctor wanted for eachprosthetic and orthosis. I also considered it equally important to listen to whatindividuals undergoing treatment, their families, Nurses, rehabilitation staff, andthose around them wanted. Due to my enthusiasm for scoliosis braces and trunkorthosis, along with the above work, I also held related sales and study sessionsas an instructor.
My motivation was to improve my skills as a prosthetist. What motivated me wassomething a customer (patient) ’s to me. At the end of the year I joined thecompany as a full-time employee, a customer (patient) said to me, "I was reallyglad to have you make my prosthetic leg. You have to help many patients so theycan be so too!" She was a very healthy elderly woman, but within two weeks ofsaying this, her health deteriorated and she passed away. There is a phrase thatmy master in scoliosis brace often used to say to me. It was, "Do your job withsingle-minded dedication!" I immersed myself in my work every day, keeping thewords of these two in mind. So, I came to think that if I could improve my skillsand make my customers happy, I would be extremely happy myself. With this inmind, I made the decision to study in the United States.
I would like to maintain a constant relationship with the prosthetics and orthoticsindustry, both in the United States and Japan. I want to keep moving forward sothat I can spend each day feeling that working is the greatest joy. I believe in myinfinite potential. I want to strive to make wonderful encounters with the customers (patients) I meet, as well as those around them, and my colleagues in theprosthetics and orthotics field. I believe that it is necessary for me to maintain astrong desire for continuous learning. To constantly update myself withthe latest technologies and treatment methods, I will actively participate inseminars and training sessions to deepen my expertise. Furthermore, I plan tocontinue my academic pursuits after obtaining my degree, acquiring moreadvanced qualifications and skills to establish myself as an expert in the field.
With these goals in mind, I aspire to steadily build a career in the field of prosthetics and orthotics, and grow into a professional who can contribute to improving the quality of life for patients.
To outsiders, orthotists and prosthetists may seem like a job for lone wolfcraftsmen and artisans, but in reality it heavily requires communication skills aswell. Our relationship with our clients inevitably starts out negatively, as from theperspective of our clients; they would rather not have to meet with us if they didnot have to. They only make purchases from us because they must do so in orderto live something that resembles a normal life. It is very different from trying tobuy a pair of shoes or clothes at a general store. Because of this situation, Iwished to at least make this relationship into a somewhat neutral one, perhapseven make it so they would be happy to see us or be grateful that I was the onethat made his or her prosthetic. We often have to make prosthetics for ourclients until the day they die. If they happen to be young children, it can beheartwarming to see them grow up. However, we must take responsibility for anyone of our clients. It may be the case that our choice of prosthetics has significant consequences for our clients’ quality of life. Due to this, a sense of passionand duty are what is needed in this industry. It requires a will to follow thosevalues and act upon them and to believe in a number of infinite possibilities withthe client and to realize one's own infinite potential.