Dr Thomas Kosasa

Dr. Thomas Kosasa turned his back on a comfortable life in the family business — ABC Stores — to pursue the life of a Renaissance man, and for years the life of a playboy.

Susan Sunderland
Wednesday - February 10, 2005
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Ever meet an “overachiever”? They take out the garbage without being asked and pay bills before the due date. For most of us, these little triumphs in life count.

Then there’s Dr. Thomas S. Kosasa, who pioneered infertility treatment in Hawaii, flies Air Ambulance missions on the weekends, directed the architectural design of his home in Nuuanu, is a champion race car driver, consults with the federal Food and Drug Administration, and lectures on the latest advancements on reproductive endocrinology at the University of Hawaii School of Medicine.

Is he an overachiever or a modern Renaissance man?

A Renaissance man is someone who is skilled, sometimes to greatness, in several areas. The Renaissance man constantly learns and masters new skills. It is this quality that allowed Leonardo Da Vinci and Benjamin Franklin to excel in scientific and artistic endeavors.

Kosasa is a local Renaissance man and a likeable, regular guy with many skills. He is soft-spoken, kindly, and comfortable in any situation. What you see is what you get. On the ground or in the air, his high-level achievements are just different dimensions of who he is and nothing he flaunts to get headlines.

As a matter of fact, one rarely hears about this talented scion of the famed Kosasa family of Oahu, founder of the ABC Stores. His father, Sidney Kosasa (a past MidWeek cover subject), and younger brother Paul Kosasa are usually at the forefront of local publicity.

But, clearly, more people should know about 59-year-old Dr. Kosasa because he is doing remarkable things in the field of reproductive endocrinology — making babies, helping women get pregnant. That’s an oversimplification of his medical specialty, but now that we have your attention …

Kosasa has always been curious about the world around him. His early education at Aina Haina Elementary and Punahou School (class of 1963) set the standard for his professional aspirations. At Punahou, he was a member of the National Honor Society and the state champion rifle team.

 

Kosasa graduated with distinction and a degree in architecture from Dartmouth College (1967). He earned his medical degree at the McGill University School of Medicine in Montreal (1971) and completed his residency in obstetrics and gynecology and fellowship in reproductive endocrinology at Harvard Medical School as well as Brigham and Women’s Medical Center in Boston. After graduation, he served in the U.S. Army, attaining the rank of major.

Flying has always interested him, and he has been an avid aviator since 1963.

He believes “pilots are genetically destined.” Kosasa has an airline transport pilot’s license, highest aeronautics rating, and has logged over 4,000 hours of flight time. He has flown as a pilot for Air Hawaii, Air Molokai, and Air Ambulance (1990 to present). Each Friday and Sunday, Kosasa pilots a twin-engine Cessna for Air Ambulance, bringing Neighbor Island patients to crucial medical services on Oahu. 

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