Developing the competency to support an English-speaking patient in all hospital procedures from start to finish requires an enormous range of skills for Japanese medical professionals. Few medical professionals have the breadth of abilities to manage this independently. Dr. Takashi Sadatomo, head of the neurosurgery department at Higashi Hiroshima Medical Center, represents an uncommon level of expertise in Japanese healthcare. In September of 2025, I had the chance to interview him about his English-learning process. In this blog, I will introduce his studying methods and some of the challenges he has encountered to offer practical guidance for Japanese hospital staff aiming to enhance their English skills.
In addition to his neurosurgical duties, Dr. Sadatomo supports other departments with English interpretation tasks at his general hospital. The hospital is located near a national university with a large population of international students, so there is a demand for English-speaking medical staff. He assists English-speaking patients during administrative procedures such as payment and insurance processes, as well as interprets for nurses during medical procedures. His most critical role involves explaining surgical procedures, including risks and side effects, to patients, a task that demands precise and clear communication.
Dr. Sadatomo’s English Learning Process
His first serious attempt at studying English began in 1995 while working at MAZDA Hospital in Hiroshima, and lasted for a period of three years. He completely quit studying between 1998 and 2012, but picked it up again in 2013. Since that time, Dr. Sadatomo has led a weekly English class for hospital medical staff, focusing primarily on English conversation in a casual setting. Additionally, he commits to a disciplined daily study routine lasting 60 to 90 minutes. He never breaks from this routine, even while on vacation.
Learning Techniques
For vocabulary memorization he chooses a minimalist approach that focuses on consistency rather than technology. Hi study materials have mainly consisted of transcripts printed from NHK English programs. He highlights unfamiliar words and repeats them three to four times daily, reviewing all materials multiple times to reinforce retention.
He even mined for new words to memorize by reading through sample sentences from a dictionary every day for a year straight (2014-2015).
It wasn’t until 2022 that he began using digital tools. Currently, he uses a smart phone application called Cake for daily quizzes immediately after waking up.
Starting in 2021, he began studying videos on YouTube channels such as Yumi’s English Boot Camp, Nick’s Eikaiwa, and Eikaiwa with Summer Sensei to improve pronunciation.
Challenges in Medical English Communication
In Dr. Sadatomo’s experience, explaining medical procedures in lay terms has been one of his biggest challenges. “Many Japanese doctors are familiar with technical terminology but struggle to find common English equivalents that patients understand. For example, ‘axilla’ is less recognizable than ‘armpit,’ and ‘clavicle’ is better understood as ‘collarbone,’” explains Dr. Sadatomo. Therefore, he has dedicated lots of effort to developing his vocabulary to include these lay terms.
However, listening to native English speakers remains his most difficult challenge due to limited exposure to natural speech patterns. “When I was in school, I never learned about linking and reduction, and listening to native speakers is still very difficult for me”, he says. To overcome this, Dr. Sadatomo engages extensively with natural spoken English. He has watched at least one episode of several American dramas daily since 2015.
Conclusion
What impressed me the most when interviewing Dr. Sadatomo was that he seemed to do many of the things educators often frown upon, such as learning words through rote memory and studying vocabulary in the absence of a particular context (dictionary sample sentences). However, it has obviously been highly effective for him. My impression of his English skills are that of what one might expect of a neurosurgeon: precise. Dr. Sadatomo’s experience demonstrates that routine, even when minimalistic in methodology can effectively enhance English communication skills to the point that even many native speakers have difficulty obtaining. His experiences of assisting English-speaking patients through various stages of medical care provides valuable insights for Japanese doctors seeking to improve their ability to serve English-speaking patients.
A Neurosurgeon’s Approach to Building English Communication Skills © 2025 by Marshall Higa is licensed under CC BY-ND 4.0 
