Medicine, Compassion, and UWC Values: Masaki’s Story

December 12, 2024

Please introduce yourself and tell us about your journey with UWC Maastricht.

My name is Masaki. I was born in Japan but grew up mostly in the Netherlands, where my family moved when I was two years old. I’ve known the school since 2002, back when it was still Joppenhof, the predecessor of UWCM’s primary school. Then in 2009, we officially became UWC. By 2013, when I was in secondary school, we moved to the new campus, and I even got to meet the Dutch king! I remember the curriculum shifting a lot during that time—we started discussing the UWC mission and values and what they meant for us as students and members of the UWC community.

What stood out to me the most was that in my final two years, our year group was mixed with the residential students. I was fortunate to live near the school, so I could join in many events. That’s when I really started learning from all the cultural interactions. I loved culture weeks and celebrating both our similarities and differences. I eventually graduated in 2018, and after a great graduation trip with friends, I moved to London to study medicine at Imperial College.

If you think back to your time at UWCM, what was it like?

What immediately comes to mind are the events and conversations. I remember all the chats and the fun we had. From the academic side, I recall the very unusual and inspiring math classes with Parag and my biology classes with Hannah. And, of course, the International Award experience with Miss Newman, when we traveled to the Lake District, that was unforgettable.

What is your life like right now?

Living in the UK has been good. After London, I was assigned to a hospital in Kent, where I’m currently doing my residency after finishing medical school. I’ve always missed the internationalism of UWC, especially the events where we celebrated our differences and learned from one another in creative and fun ways. While at Imperial College, I started an “International Day” initiative which was great, but it remained rather low-key compared to the events we organized at UWC.

In my free time—though I didn’t have much during my studies—I enjoy bouldering or catching up with friends, like my UWCM friends who are also in the UK Henri and Rani. While I like living in the UK, I wouldn’t mind returning to the Netherlands one day to be closer to family and hopefully also enjoy a better work-life balance.

Do you see any links between your work now and your time at UWC?

As a junior doctor that started about 3 months ago, I must say that I’m still very much in the process of absorbing everything. Right now, I’m working with elderly patients, particularly focusing on the end-of-life care. As you can imagine, it’s not so much about treatment but more about providing relief and comfort. I also spend a lot of time with patients’ families, and this is where I feel the interpersonal and intercultural communicatio skills I learned at UWC come into play the most. The work is very patient-centered, and my UWC experience has helped me remain open to the different cultural and personal preferences of patients. This field—palliative care—is deeply rooted in compassion and service, the core UWC values. I didn’t realize it at the time, but my CAS and Service as Action experiences in the MYP really equipped me with practical skills that I now use every day. Also, discussions from my Theory of Knowledge classes, especially around ethics, often come to mind when I’m talking with patients and families about ones’ end-of-life wishes.

On a different note, I also often think about the environmental aspect of sustainability which is something that I feel gets a bit pushed aside in hospitals but it is something that we as UWCers deeply care about. I am not quite sure what to do about it but there is a lot of waste being produced in hospitals and it always breaks my heart a little seeing the mountains of plastic packaging pile up every single day.

What advice would you give to alumni who are trying to live the UWC mission and values in their own way?

My advice would be: don’t lose sight of the UWC values as you go through life. Keep them close to your heart, and they’ll naturally guide you. The world is fast-paced, and it’s easy to get lost, so hold onto those values. They’re part of you and will show up in whatever career or path you choose. Also, get involved in events that allow you to meet people outside your immediate circle, stay curious, and always look for ways to celebrate diversity. And of course, stay connected with your co-years and fellow UWCers. Get inspired, take initiative, and do something you care about!