Health Young Japanese doctors shift to cosmetic medicine

[thomas]

This is exactly what my cardiologist told me a few months ago: young doctors shunning the risks of practising internal medicine or surgery for fear of long hours and lawsuits.

More young doctors in Japan are moving straight into cosmetic medicine after completing their initial training, drawing concern within the healthcare sector about the future of clinical practice and physician training.

These doctors are often called chokubi, a term used for physicians who enter cosmetic medicine immediately after the two-year initial residency required of all medical graduates. Many do so without first working in insured fields such as internal medicine or surgery. The trend reflects the difficult working conditions in hospital care and the higher pay offered by private cosmetic clinics.

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Physicians working in hospital-based medicine continue to face demanding conditions. At Hyogo Prefectural Amagasaki General Medical Centre, about 30 doctors work in the cardiology department, treating patients with heart disease and responding to emergency cases around the clock. Doctors there handle both hospitalised patients and emergency arrivals 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, often working overnight shifts about six times a month. Because cardiovascular treatment requires teamwork, multiple physicians must coordinate closely to treat each patient. With limited staff, the workload placed on each doctor can become overwhelming. Some physicians say that once working hours stretch too far, even higher salaries cannot compensate for the loss of time with their families. Becoming a doctor in Japan requires graduating from medical school, passing the national medical licensing exam, and completing two years of initial residency across multiple specialities. Afterwards, physicians typically choose a speciality such as internal medicine or surgery and undergo further training. In recent years, however, more doctors have chosen to enter cosmetic medicine immediately after their initial residency. According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the number of such doctors has increased roughly tenfold over the past decade.

Another compelling reason: Hospital doctors may earn around 4.5 million yen annually, while large cosmetic clinics can offer starting salaries of around 25 million yen, even for new physicians!

Japan's Young Doctors Flocking to Cosmetic Medicine

The number of young doctors entering cosmetic medicine immediately after completing their initial medical training is rapidly increasing in Japan, raising concerns within the healthcare industry about the future of medical care and the training of physicians.

newsonjapan.com