[Research Internship] Past participants discuss the 'difficulty of facing regional issues'

In this article, we interviewed Onozawa-san, who participated in last summer's internship!

How did Onozawa-san, who now works at a consulting firm, approach the issues in Odaka?

We asked about the difficulties of regional issues and how to overcome them!

▽ Information on the 'Power to Formulate Questions' online seminar held on Friday, May 31st

▽ Details of this year's Odaka Summer Internship

▽ Click here if you would like to attend the internship information session

Please apply using the form below.
*After confirming your application, the secretariat will contact you via email.

———— What do you think 'formulating a question,' which is the theme of the internship, means?

I think it means 'identifying the biggest variable for solving a problem.'

For example, in Odaka, there are many issues lying around that you can find just by walking through the town, such as 'there are few convenience stores.'

However, just increasing the number of convenience stores doesn't mean the region will fundamentally improve, right?

What is the biggest driver causing the issues right in front of us?
What is it that we should fundamentally change in Odaka?

I think thinking about these things is what 'formulating a question' is all about.

———— That sounds very difficult.

It is. I felt the difficulty, especially in the first half of the internship.

I researched medical issues in Odaka, butthere is a difference in scale between medical issues in general and 'Odaka's' medical issues.

In particular, it was difficult to summarize the differences in stakeholder perspectives to formulate a question.

Patients receiving medical care in Odaka, doctors providing medical care, and Minamisoma City managing medical care. Each has a different position and way of thinking, and they don't intersect.

I would hear voices from residents saying, 'We want a pediatrics department,' but when I asked people in the medical field, they would say, 'It's difficult because it's hard to make a profit.' I struggled with these conflicting interests.

———— How did you overcome that difficulty?

Taking the time to understand the perspectives of each stakeholderwas helpful.

First, I researched the issues at my desk and formed hypotheses, and then I was able to deepen my inquiry by interviewing local residents and hospital staff.

Of course, it's impossible to solve everyone's problems, but I think that by avoiding various contradictions, a good approach started to emerge.

Also, the presence of my mentor was significant.

Honestly, at first, I didn't really understand what it meant to "formulate a question," so I had Mr. Takahashi think about it with me.

However, once you've formulated it, the question becomes a place to return to while you're working, asking yourself, "Is this still aligned with the question?"

Because the question was well-formulated, the solutions came out smoothly, and in the second half, I had the leeway to polish my analysis with regular feedback from Mr. Takahashi.

———— Is this experience useful for anything now?

I developed the habit of thinking about what lies behind an issue instead of jumping at immediate problems that come up.

I feel that thinking about what the essential issue is behind a phenomenon is also important when working at a consulting firm.

———— Finally, who would you recommend this internship to?

In addition to those interested in regional areas, I would also recommend it to people who have always handled things efficiently.

I had researched the issues before entering the region, but once I started grasping the problems on the ground, I was overwhelmed by their complexity.

I don't think you can get the experience of overcoming that frustration in other internships.

📑 For those who want to know more about the internship!

① We will hold an online event!

On Friday, May 31st, from 20:30 to 21:30, we are planning to hold a seminar featuring guests who are actually active through this internship. If you are interested in this internship through this note. If you are considering your future career or are interested in internships. We look forward to seeing you there!

(2) If you are interested in interviews with other participants, click here!

We have also interviewed Mr. Harada, who will be speaking at the online event. He talks about the internship from a different perspective, so please be sure to check it out.

(3) To those considering participating in this internship

We also hold internship information sessions and casual interviews at any time.

If you cannot attend the information session due to scheduling conflicts, or if you want to hear more even after attending an information session!, please consider a casual interview. Please apply using the form below.
*After confirming your application, the secretariat will contact you via email.

(3) Click here to enter

We look forward to your participation!