After appointed to the post of governor, I was taken by surprise to know that governors have wide range of missions and now Iʼm feeling heavy responsibilities. However, as the three great predecessors, Drs. Kiyoshi Kurokawa, Shotai Kobayashi and Fumiaki Ueno, had set the right track, I believe that all I have to do is to go forward on the same track.
It has been 23 years since I became a member of ACP. Time flies! In those days, I was a co-chair of a committee of the Association of FJSIM (Fellows of Japanese Society of Internal Medicine) to encourage FJSIMs to join ACP, so Japanese Society of Internal Medicine (JSIM) was a close society with us in the beginning. I think ACP Japan Chapter and JSIM should cooperate in the future again because the purpose of the two organizations is the same. The first cooperation of the two entities was realized this year as a joint session for students and residents in the annual meeting of JSIM. I hope we will have chances to cooperate again and I will make efforts to achieve that aim.
The Japan Chapter is growing with over 1200 internists, including over 300 residents and medical students.
Our Chapter is very active and thriving. I do encourage each and every one of you to become involved actively with our Chapter, as your “professional home”. Consider ACP as the “big home” for all internists, in which you can find colleagues with whom you can share and collaborate, regardless of your practice environment or subspecialty focus.
If you are not an ACP member yet, please consider joining “our home”. If you are already a member, do consider recruiting colleagues who are not ACP members to join and encouraging members to advance to Fellowship. I look forward to hearing from you and staying connected with you, throughout my term as Governor, and beyond.
Thank you for everything you do for our chapter and for our profession.
All the best,
Kenji Maeda, MD, FACP
Governor, American College of Physicians, Japan Chapter