A fellow pupil, Masanao KOIKE, who was concerned about Ogai being unable to progress to the next step, submitted a long, enthusiastic recommendation letter to Tadanori ISHIGURO, the vice-chief of the Medical Bureau of the Department of War requesting him to employ Ogai, and his closest friend Tsuruto KOGA (who had become a Army Surgeon like Masanao) also encouraged him to join the Department of War.
その進路未定の状況を見かねた同窓生の小池正直は、陸軍省医務局次長の石黒忠悳に鴎外を採用するよう長文の熱い推薦状を出しており、また小池と同じく陸軍軍医になっていた親友の賀古鶴所（かこ･つると）は、鴎外に陸軍省入りを勧めていた。