Relationships in med school pt 15 - so you think you know Ken Noguchi

Interview from the other side – Ken Noguchi in the hot seat
a sidenote guest interview by David Cykert

David: Alright. Tell me why medical school and why MUSC?

Ken: One of the reasons I wanted to go to medical school was because of the TV show SCRUBS. I really liked specifically that they would have lots of deep human related conversations and lots of conversations about relationships… conversations that I thought were interesting. The kind of conversations I like having.  And, so, when I tried to think what I wanted to do with the rest of my life back in college, I tried to think about what kind of situation could I put myself in where I could maximize those conversations ‘cause that’s what I like doing. And also I was a science major.  I like doing science.  So, it’s a natural coming together of the two things.

David: And then why specifically here at MUSC?

Ken: Um, I’m not sure why specifically here.  I guess, the MD/PhD program is really competitive, and so I applied to 20 programs and it was down to this one and another one.  But part of it was also that I applied here with the desire to go somewhere warm and somewhere sunny because I’ve lived in Maryland, Massachusetts, Ohio, Wyoming, Oregon – and they’re all pretty cold.  The South is the last place I haven’t lived yet.  So, I was kind of interested in living in the South, and I was definitely interested in living somewhere warm, because I would have to be somewhere for such a long time.  And I was really happy with coming here because it fits those requirements.

David: I wish that I had seen your blog before coming to medical school; it would have made the process seem more personal, humanized, and normal. I was sort of dumping applications off into cyber space, and had I read about these human beings on your blog it would have been nice.  How did you start your blog and why did you start it?
 

Ken: I graduated in May 2010, and I started it in mid-July because after I graduated I realized I had lots of free time, and I was also living in a new place where I did not know anyone, and I was like, ‘I have all this time, what should I do?’  I was trying to come up with something fun to do.  So I tried a series of different things.  I tried doing yoga.  I read a lot of books, and that kind of what was what got me into doing writing for my own.  I read this book by this blogger called the Happiness Project (Gretchen Rubin) and it advocates for blogging and writing.  And, I though, ‘oh that sounds fun – I should do that.’  And I guess I have been doing it ever since.

it takes two to make it out of sight

David: Running and cross-country seem to be important and really formative experiences for you.  Why did you join cross-country in the first place…what drew you to it? Are you a glutton for punishment?

Ken: I think initially I joined because my friends were joining as a way to have something to put on college applications.  I thought ‘that’s a good idea – I should probably do that too.’  The year before that, my freshman year, I tried out for soccer, but I got cut and so I just did not do anything that year.  My sophomore year was when I started running just cause some of my friends were doing it.  As far as the second part of the question, I would definitely say there’s a part of me that’s driven by suffering and pushing yourself.

David: I was kind of thinking about that writing these questions up – that with medical school and cross-country there’s a lot of time, a lot of dedication and sense of a distance to the process… so I guess a lot of us here are gluttons for punishment. So I want to ask you, what is a hero? And who are your heroes?

Ken: I guess to me a hero is someone who inspires other people to do something positive. I guess for me heroes take on a motivational role. I think of political leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. I would definitely say Paul Farmer in medicine– he does a lot of global health type work in Haiti. 

David: What is your first memory of being really excited? 

Ken: I always have trouble with these questions of your first memory.  I feel like I don’t feel like I remember as much about my childhood as other people do. I’d say my first real excited memory – there was a time in second grade – I must have been like 7 maybe – I remember it was the first day I got glasses and one of my friends was talking to me about it on the way from lining up outside school to go to class and my friend’s friend comes over to talk to us and said, “hey if anyone calls you a nerd, I’m going to punch them in the face.”  And, I was like, ‘Oh wow, that’s really nice – I have friends.’

What's on the other side?

David: This is my last question. Your blog sign-off is “see you on the other side”…what is the other side?


Ken: I don’t know. I thought about that a lot. I think I have written about it before. I don’t know. I don’t know. The thing that comes to mind is I feel like a lot of times like an outsider. I think very different than other people think. I have met some other people who are unique in the same way I am that I can’t quite describe. I don’t know if it is good to be on this side, but I think it is more interesting or fun. I would either want to meet more people on this side or other people come over to my side. It is very abstract I guess… 

David: It kind of makes sense. Would you say that way of thinking is more analytical or practical or what kind of word would you put to it? 

Ken: Maybe. Maybe a little of both. Usually if I have to attribute a major quality to myself is usually that I care more about things than other people. I think that is an important aspect of it because to me, to care more is different than to work hard at something. I don’t know. I hope that is a satisfactory answer. 

David: I think that is a very satisfactory answer, and I appreciate you letting me do this.

Thanks David!

Who should I interview next?