Page 12 - Winter 2020 Castle MD

Portrait of Robin Matsukawa, MD
Robin Matsukawa knew he wanted to become a doctor from the time he was
in elementary school. As a member of
the Honolulu Japanese Seventh-day Adventist Church, he joined a group that visited senior care homes and sang for the residents. That’s when he felt a tug at his heart and began thinking, “Someday I want to help these people.”
Growing up in a Japanese household of modest means, just a few blocks from where he now practices at Castle Primary Care of Ka¯ne‘ohe, Dr. Matsukawa was expected to make something of himself. He excelled in school and extracurricular activities, which included attending Japanese school after his regular school day, judo classes, music lessons and a variety of community service activities.
“Service was part of my DNA growing up,” says Dr. Matsukawa. “I was always attracted to helping others.”
One of his most valued experiences
in intermediate and high school was participating in The Serteens Club of Hawai‘i, a multi-island organization
that provides gifted and talented teens opportunities for personal growth, leadership training and service to others. Dr. Matsukawa rose to become the governor – or student leader – of the organization in his Junior year. Among
his responsibilities was to come up with
a guiding theme for the year. He chose “Building a Trail”, a theme that would encourage fellow students to think about how they go about building their life paths.
With the guidance of his grandmother and mother, Dr. Matsukawa charted his own course toward a career in medicine.
After graduating from Hawaiian Mission Academy, he attended Pacific Union College with his mother’s passive enthusiasm. It was a school where many
of the doctors from his church completed their undergraduate studies, and it could be a path to medical school. He chose natural science with an emphasis on chemistry as a major with a plan to become a high school science teacher if he didn’t get into medical 12 · WINTER ‘20
school. He would engage his students in science and help them become scientists or doctors. During college, he developed a desire to one day give back to Hawai‘i, eventually becoming the Hawaiian Club president. Through this opportunity, he educated others about Hawaiian culture, even learning to dance hula under the tutelage of Kumu Kalani Po`omahealani to perform for the annual Fall Festival.
Fortunately for Dr. Matsukawa, he was accepted into Loma Linda University School of Medicine and could shelve his Plan B.
As he rotated through the various medical specialties, he found that he loved them
all. Not able to pick a favorite, he leaned toward pediatrics and internal medicine, where he could develop relationships and
provide his patients with a breadth and depth of care. By this time, he and his wife Cheryl, had their first child, James. Daughter Zoey would arrive during Dr. Matsukawa’s residency.
As a new father, he gained a new perspective on pediatrics: caring for sick children made him sad and could be heart- breaking. He felt that being a pediatrician would be more challenging on his emotional health, affecting his family life, which
was important to Dr. Matsukawa. As an internist, he still could look forward to seeing patients with a broad range of medical issues and help to manage and direct their care while developing a human connection.