I am currently working as an embryologist/embryologist performing in vitro fertilization in the field of reproductive medicine. My desire to pursue this career began when I majored in the Laboratory of Livestock Breeding and Reproduction (now the Laboratory of Animal Reproduction) with the idea of being involved in the artificial breeding of rare animals.
I spent about a year writing letters and visiting zoos and aquariums across the country that were involved in breeding rare animals, looking for jobs that I wanted, but all of my job hunting efforts ended in failure. Looking back, I think this was a natural outcome. My hopes for employment were very limited: "I want to work in a position where I can be directly involved in artificial breeding of rare animals that are in danger of extinction through in vitro fertilization and ICSI, which is something I have always been interested in. I was still a young man pursuing only his dreams. At that time, there were no jobs that specialized in this field. However, through this job search, I was able to get acquainted with keepers who were trying to artificially breed rare animals all over Japan. One of the keepers told me something that I still remember today. The type of work you want to do is ten years too early for you in Japan." At such a time when my job search for the type of work I wanted became hopeless, my former teacher, former Professor Yoshiaki Fukuda, gave me hope, saying, "If you keep that hope alive, the day will come somewhere when you will be involved in breeding rare animals, even if only indirectly.
Since then, my thinking about work and employment changed drastically. My desire for a job that would allow me to make use of my research in IVF and ICSI remained unchanged, but my new desire was to "help people. It was during this time that I had a fateful encounter with a job opening for an embryologist/embryologist, who was responsible for human in vitro fertilization in the field of reproductive medicine. At the time, the term "embryologist/embryologist" was not used to describe this type of work, but rather "culture room staff. The place of employment was in obstetrics and gynecology, a place of employment that was completely off the rails from the Department of Animal Husbandry. I took one shot at a job that I was destined to find in a job search that changed the course of my career. After that, I went to the laboratory every day from morning to night without a break to continue my research. I went to the lab every morning at 6:30 to conduct research on in vitro fertilization in mice, took care of the mice, prepared for the next experiment, and continued injecting the mice every day. In the lab, I thoroughly learned about IVF. I can say that I naturally learned how to manage a culture room, prepare culture media, and acquire various techniques through daily research.
After this period of time, I was hired by a culture center that actually performs infertility treatment for people, and it helped that I had no preconceived notions about what the job entailed or where I would be working. The clinic I joined was an obstetrics and gynecology department, so the only male staff member was the director, who was also a doctor. I think it was natural that the staff and patients were all bewildered by a new male employee who had graduated from the Department of Animal Husbandry with no medical qualifications. I remember that at that time I was strongly impressed by the fact that I was in the "medical field" treating very delicate problems prior to IVF and ICSI. When I started working, my first goal was to become a "medical professional" before becoming a "culture room staff member. I did whatever was done in the clinic. By doing whatever it took, I was recognized by the staff and patients, and the environment in which I, a male, could work in the gynecology department became more and more conducive. I felt that while I wanted to help people through IVF and ICSI in the field of reproductive medicine, my first priority in the field where I am now was to be a medical professional and be involved in the treatment of patients seeking treatment. Since then, I have been at the forefront of reproductive medicine for more than a decade, constantly training my skills and acquiring the latest techniques and information.
To all those who are hoping to find employment in the same field in the future
The position of embryologist/embryologist does not have a national certification, which means that it is basically a job that anyone can do. However, it is not a job for everyone. The work of handling eggs, sperm, and fertilized eggs, which are the source of life, requires high ethical standards, and mistakes are absolutely unforgivable. It is a physically and mentally demanding job, with a turnover rate of over 40% within the first year of employment. It is neither a researcher nor a research job.
Nevertheless, I feel very fortunate to have found this job. There is never a break, physically or mentally, but I am proud to be on the forefront of reproductive medicine for patients who seek the skills of our culture room staff to help them through their treatment.
It has been 12 years since my last words of encouragement from my former mentor, former Professor Fukuda, who told me that I would eventually be involved in breeding rare animals, and also from Mr. Keeper, who told me that I was 10 years too early for this in Japan. In this day and age, we have an environment that is kind to animals and cares for rare animals, and I am indirectly involved in artificial breeding. The times have changed as our predecessors advised us. Thank you very much.
