The Japanese concept of ikigai, or an individual’s reason for being, underpinned the message behind a fresh call for mentorship in vascular surgery and how mentoring could aid efforts to plug a shortage in the specialty’s workforce.
Roy M. Fujitani, MD, chief of vascular and endovascular surgery at the University of California, Irvine, in Orange, California, made the plea to gathered colleagues in his Western Vascular Society (WVS) presidential address during the 2024 WVS annual meeting in Colorado Springs, Colorado (Sept 7–10).
Integrating the core spheres of ikigai— made up of what a person is good at, what they love doing, what the world needs, and what they can be paid for—with mentorship creates a “meaningful framework for personal and professional development,” he told attendees.
Those spheres combine to create passion (a person’s strengths plus love), mission (love plus need), vocation (need plus remuneration) and profession (remuneration plus strengths), he said. If an individual doesn’t combine all four spheres, they may not achieve “full fulfillment,” said Fujitani, who grew up in the rural area of Ahualoa in Hawaii, the grandchild of Japanese immigrants.
He laid out the scale of the challenge to vascular surgery from the predicted workforce shortage through 2030 and beyond: “According to some estimates, the current number of vascular surgeons may not meet the current demand for vascular surgery services over the next decade, with estimates reaching 35–45%.”
Along with the demands of an aging population, the rise of chronic disease, and an aging vascular workforce, Fujitani pointed to training and recruitment concerns: a restricted number of fellowship programs and the breadth of choices available to medical students—some which are perceived as having better work-life balance and financial rewards, he said. “Without intervention, the gap between the supply of vascular surgeons and the demand for services may widen by 2030 and beyond.”
This is where mentorship and the concept of ikigai might have a dual role to play, Fujitani explained. “Early and persistent mentorship is a critical element in the safeguarding of vascular surgery,” he said.
Across the spheres, the experienced surgeon can support and provide advice to mentees as they pursue what they love doing and identify their strengths, and spur skill development by providing opportunity as they discover what they are good at, Fujitani continued. In terms of what the world needs, mentors can help guide purposeful careers that not only fulfill personal ambitions but also contribute to society, as well as support mentees as they navigate career choices that align with their skills and financial and personal fulfillment.
“I fully encourage you to actively participate in first gaining your ikigai yorokobi, activities that bring you intrinsic fulfillment and happiness, and then foster strong mentorship with our young mentees, identifying the very brightest, the very best, to safeguard the future of our vascular surgery specialty.”
