<Begin Segment 36>

AI: Well, so then at the end of your internship, then you had planned already to go back to Seattle. So, could you just tell us what happened then after you ended your internship, and you're leaving Pennsylvania and you're making your way back to Seattle.

RI: Well, of course I wanted to get more training in family practice, actually. So, like I said, I applied to the Seattle hospitals but I was unable to get any assignment, so I couldn't help it, I had to start practice. And I always felt that one year of internship after training in today's consideration, is not very much. Almost every doctor receives about three years of training after medical school, which is residency in some form, whether it's family practice or medicine or obstetrics, but since I only had that one year I always felt that maybe my training wasn't as complete and not as good. So, whenever, when, when I did start practice I always felt that whenever I had a patient who had some complicated diseases, I'm going to get consultant. So after a while I think that the Seattle people thought that, "Oh, that Dr. Inouye, well, at least she doesn't think she knows everything and she refers you to another specialist." So they, they seemed to have liked that idea. But that was the reason why I didn't hesitate. And besides, I felt that Seattle was a very good medical center. By that time, University of Washington had a medical school and actually, when I started, University of Washington Medical School started its first class in 1946, so it wasn't even existing. So, by then there was this nice medical school and Children's Hospital, and there were a lot of good specialists around, and so I figured that it's to my advantage to be sure to refer patients to good doctors. So I think it was an advantage.

DG: You started your practice what year?

RI: In 1949. And my first office was in that Jackson building above Higo variety store. And the Murakamis had that building and they were very solicitous, helpful to a starting doctor. And I rented two rooms for forty dollars a month. And of course, I had to have some renovation. But I think one of my father's friends, being a carpenter, helped put up partitions and that's where I started. And I was there for almost two years. But about that time since my marriage, I left Seattle for a short time, for about a year, and then came back again.

AI: Well, could you tell us a little more detail about your very first year in practice and starting out?

RI: My first year in practice. Well, I, okay, I thought, "Well, this is a new venture," and I was a little bit nervous about starting, but you know, this Japanese community is so supportive. I think that most of the patients felt like, "Well, this is a Seattle girl. She grew up among us, and she's like... I felt like the Isseis were saying, "Well, she's just like our daughter, so let's go and support her." And that's how I felt that these Isseis felt. No wonder I have special love for the Issei people. When they came they, they, instead of calling me "Doctor" -- oh, of course, most of 'em called me "Doctor," but it was either Ruby-san or, and then I'd call them obasan or ojisan, and you know, they were like my mother's friends, my mother and father's friends. So I think they were very protective of me. And then since they were speaking Japanese I learned a lot of Japanese from them. And of course, when I first started I didn't know the Japanese words for a lot of the anatomical parts. So I'd say, "Now, let's see. 'Lung,' what is 'lung?'" Oh, hai. Okay, hai is "lungs," and "heart" is shinzo, and "kidneys" are jinzo. Then I'd say, "Well, what's 'pancreas'?" They don't know what "pancreas" is. So then, later I found out it's called suizo, and then "spleen" they don't know anything about. I forgot what "spleen" was. But that's how it was. "Stomach" is i, most people knew what i was. But they were also very helpful, so I learned a lot of Japanese that way. And after a few years, my mother said to me, "Ruby, your Japanese is getting so good. Jozu ni natta." I says, "Oh yes, I'm learning it from these patients." [Laughs] So, anyway, I have a special... oh, what should I say? Special heart feelings for these Issei people.

<End Segment 36> - Copyright © 2003 Densho. All Rights Reserved.