Sostrin Client Spotlight - Dr. Masashi Okubo

Patients who visit an emergency room may be experiencing a wide variety of medical emergencies, from severe burns to cardiac arrest. As an emergency physician, it is Sostrin Client Dr. Masashi Okubo’s responsibility to take care of these patients and respond to their health issues.
 
Dr. Okubo began his medical training in his native Japan, earning his medical degree from Osaka City University and then completing an Emergency Medicine Residency at Okinawa Chubu Hospital. Afterwards, Dr. Okubo remained at Okinawa Chubu Hospital and served as an Attending Physician in the Department of Emergency Medicine.
 
Still, Dr. Okubo wanted to continue learning, and in 2013, came to the United States to do just that. “I was interested in the medical training and clinical research in the United States,” he explains, because “people believe the best in the world.” He went on to complete an Emergency Medicine Residency at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
 
In 2016, Dr. Okubo joined the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh as a Research Fellow. Today, Dr. Okubo holds a position as Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at University of Pittsburgh and conducts research on cardiac arrest—one of the leading causes of death in the United States and a topic of increased concern as scientists learn more about how COVID-19 can impact the heart.
 
Dr. Okubo explains, “Cardiac arrest is the most critical condition among various emergent conditions. Through clinical and research activities, it is an honor to fight against the challenges.”
 
In addition to his research duties, Dr. Okubo serves as an emergency physician at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Of course, working as an emergency physician, especially during a pandemic, is not without its own concerns. Dr. Okubo admits, “I sometimes have a fear to be infected in spite of proper PPE use.”
 
During times of concern, Dr. Okubo draws inspiration from the 32nd president of the United States: “I remember a quote of FDR, ‘Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear,’ which reminds the importance of our profession.”  He continues, “It is a privilege to contribute to and use my expertise for people who are suffering from COVID-19.”
 
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services recently approved Dr. Okubo’s National Interest Waiver, recognizing that his work improves and benefits America’s medical and scientific interests nationwide. We at Sostrin Immigration Lawyers feel honored to have worked with such a dedicated physician and are excited to follow his future endeavors.