「末は博士か大臣か」という言葉があった（１）
この言葉は今はもう死語だろう。
『鉄腕アトム』の御茶の水博士と天馬博士、『サイボーグ００９』のギルモア博士、そして『ひょっこりひょうたん島』のハカセ君、など。
フィクションの世界では、色々な博士を知ったが、実生活ではあまり博士に会った記憶がない。
大学生の時、教師の多くは博士だったかもしれないが、相手を博士として考えたことが無かった。
私の職業生活でも、博士に会ったことはない。
私がこれまでに会ったちゃんとした博士といえば、このnoteでたびたび取り上げた、かかりつけのお医者さんしか思い当たらない。
この方は、ご自身のwebサイトでよると、大学院を出た医学博士である。なお、大学院を卒業しなくても論文が審査を通れば医学博士になることはできるそうだ。
医師のなかに、大学院を卒業し、その時の研究が認められたものを医学博士、と呼ぶ決まりになっている。ちなみに、大学院は卒業できず、論文だけで医学博士になることもできるが、最終学歴は大学院ではなく、そういう場合を、論文博士、ともいう。
ひどい大学、医局では、出向先の病院から帰って来たら、いつのまにか大学院卒業と医学論文が自分の名前で出されており、医学博士になる、という大学や医局もある。全ては教授次第なのだ。
医師の世界は奇妙だ。とはいえ、診察の前に、その医師の履歴書を確認する人はあまりいないだろう。
日本の博士志望者の数は年々減っている。
文部科学省などの統計によると、日本の博士課程の入学者数は2022年度に1万4382人。ピークの03年度の1万8232人から21%減少した。
社会人からの入学は同じ期間に52%増えた。修士課程からが中心の「社会人以外」は41%も落ち込んでいる。
西欧諸国や韓国、中国などと比べると、減少傾向は著しい。
やはり、大学院卒業者への求人が増えていないせいだろうか。下の統計によると、日本の研究者数は企業も大学でも、あまり変動していない。
多分、これは研究開発費が増えていない状況と関係しているのだろう。
企業に就職したある博士の計算によると、大学を出て就職したほうが、生涯収支は得らしい。もしこれが一般的なら、大学院に進学する人は増えないだろう。
博士といっても多様だ。
木造の人工衛星づくりに取り組む博士さんがいる。
京都大学とともに木造の人工衛星づくりにも取り組んでいる。木は中性子を通しにくく、衛星内の機器で使う半導体を宇宙線から守れる可能性がある。役割を果たしたあとは大気圏突入時に燃えるため、宇宙ゴミの問題解決にもつながる。
１０センチ四方の衛星の外枠にホオノキを採用する設計で、耐久性は確認済み。来年打ち上げる計画だ。
一方で、「水俣病の原因は水銀ではなく、貝によるアミン中毒である」という説を唱えた、東京工業大学の博士もいた。ウィキペディアによると、この人のせいで水俣病認定が１５年遅れたといわれる。
愚かな博士には権威を与えてはいけない。一方、優秀な博士は、報われるべきだ。
There was a saying that "I want you to end up as a doctor or a minister" (1)
This word is probably dead now.
Dr. Ochanomizu and Dr. Tenma from Astro Boy, Dr. Gilmore from Cyborg 009, and Hakase-kun from Hyokkori Hyotan Island.
In the world of fiction, there were various doctors, but in real life, I have almost no memory of meeting a doctor.
When I was a university student, many of my teachers may have been Ph.D.s, but I had never thought of them as such. Even in my professional life, I have never met Dr.
The only proper doctor I've ever met is my family doctor, who I often mention in this note. According to his website, he is a medical doctor who graduated from graduate school. In addition, even if he does not graduate from graduate school, he can become a doctor of medicine if his thesis passes the examination.
Among physicians, those who have graduated from graduate school and have been recognized for their research at that time are called doctor of medicine.
By the way, it is possible to become a doctor of medicine with just a thesis without graduating from graduate school, but the final educational background is not a graduate school, and such a person is also called a thesis doctor.
In terrible universities and medical departments, when a resident doctor returns from the hospital where he or she was seconded, he or she will, without realizing it, have graduated from graduate school and a medical thesis published under his or her name, making him a doctor of medicine. It all depends on the professor.
The world of doctors is strange. However, few people will check a doctor's resume before making an appointment.
The number of doctoral candidates in Japan is decreasing year by year.
According to statistics from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and other sources, the number of students enrolled in doctoral programs in Japan was 14,382 in FY2022. This is a 21% decrease from the peak of 18,232 in FY2003. Enrollment from working adults increased 52% during the same period. The number of "non-professionals," mostly from master's programs, has dropped by 41%.
The downward trend is remarkable when compared to Western European countries, South Korea, China, etc.
Perhaps this is because the number of job openings for graduate school graduates is not increasing. According to statistics, the number of researchers in Japan, both in companies and universities, has not fluctuated much.
Perhaps this has something to do with the situation where R&D spending is not increasing.
According to the calculations of a Ph.D. who worked for a company, it seems that getting a job after graduating from university is better for one's lifetime income and expenses. If this were the norm, more people would not go on to graduate school.
Doctors are diverse. There is a doctor working on building a wooden artificial satellite.
He is also working with Kyoto University to build wooden satellites. Since wood is difficult for neutrons to pass through, it may be possible to protect the semiconductors used in satellite equipment from cosmic rays. After fulfilling its role, it will burn when it re-enters the atmosphere, so it will also help solve the problem of space debris. The design uses magnolia for the outer frame of the 10-centimeter-square satellite, and its durability has been confirmed. The plan is to launch it next year.
On the other hand, there was a doctor at the Tokyo Institute of Technology who advocated the theory that "the cause of Minamata disease was not organic mercury, but amine poisoning from shellfish." According to Wikipedia, it is said that the recognition of Minamata disease was delayed by 15 years because of this person.
Don't give authority to foolish doctors.
Excellent doctors need to be compensated accordingly.