Having built Eye Clinic Ginza in Tokyo, where he serves as medical director, Dr. Tomita Minoru makes a strong impression performing challenging surgeries.
Dr. Minoru Tomita received his MD license from Aichi Medical University in 1998 and his PhD from the Department of Ophthalmology and Pathology at Kansai Medical Universityin Osaka in 2002. He went on to complete his postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School in 2003.In 2005, Dr. Tomita won the Best Fellow Paper award from Schepens Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School. He began serving as executive medical director of the Sinagawa LASIK Center in Tokyo, Japan, in 2007 and joined Wenzhaou Universityin China as an adjunct clinical professor in 2012.In 2014, Dr. Tomita started his own refractive practice, the Tomita Minoru Eye Clinic Ginza, in Tokyo, where he serves as medical director. He spoke to Ophthalmology Life about his business life and his family.
Tell us a little bit about yourself…Where were you born?
I was born in Osaka, Japan
How was your childhood?
I was very shy and always with my mother.
Have you got a role model?
Prof. Dr. Omer Faruk Yilmaz. He is my brother and my best friend. I learned a lot from him.
Where did you meet your wife/ husband?
We met in Osaka when I was a resident.
How did you get married?
I fell in love with my wife at first sight when I was 26 years old.
Do you have a child/ children? How are your relations with your children?
I have one son. He is 13 years old. We enjoy playing video game with him.
Why did you choose to be a medical doctor? Where did you study?
I have asthma, and I often went to the doctor when I was child. That is why I wanted to be doctor to help others. I studied at Aichi Medical University for Medical Doctor. I also studied at Kansai Medical University for PHD. After getting my PHD, I was a post-doctoral fellow at Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School
Why ophthalmology? What drew you to ophthalmology?
This is from my character. I don’t want to meet someone who is going to die. If I operated on patients and they died, I could not be happy in my life. Ophthalmology is the best field for me, and I can help many patients, because eye is very important for everyone.
What are you working on? What made you choose to specialize in refractive or cataract surgery?
When I was an ophthalmology resident, I saw one patient who had LASIK.
I got a shock: it is amazing surgery. We can improve refractive error without any glass and contact lens. So, I was very interested in refractive surgery.
How has your career progressed?
After becoming a post-doctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School, I joined Shinagawa LASIK Center in June, 2005. I became Executive medical director at Shinagawa LASIK Center in 2008. I made Shinagawa LASIK Center the top LASIK Center in the world. I have performed over 100,000 cases of LASIK myself.
What are you most proud of in your career?
I received the Grand Prize of ASCRS film festival in 2012, and I have been one of the editors Journal of Refractive Surgery since 2012.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
Surgery as LASIK, FLACS, and corneal ring, CXL
What is your niche, and how did you find it? Is there something you would like to do that you haven’t yet accomplished?
I am studying ocular plastic surgery now.
What changes are needed in Ophthalmology? What is the next big thing in Ophthalmology?
I saw many Glacoma patients; we must develop like MIGS surgery.
Can you tell us your ideas about Ophthalmology Future, Where do you see the focus of innovation heading in the next 5 years?
IOL should be used for drug delivery for glaucoma patients.
What advice would you offer to young ophthalmologists?
Go abroad to get more experiences! What is on your daily to do list?
Wake up, go to clinic , do surgery, and check patients.
How many hours do you work in a day?
I am working from 10 am to 23:00 pm every day.
What is the best lesson you learned in life?
Watch Movie and enjoy life!
If you could go back 10 years, what advice would you give your youth?
Have more time with your family and pets. I worked too much in the past 10 years!
What is the best/memorable moment of your life?
Of course, when my son was born.
What do you do in your free time and holidays? Sleeping and Watching Movie What inspire you?
Smiles from patients
Are you any motto?
My hand is not God’s hand, I must continue my effort.
