Over the last 10 years, the number of doctors working at plastic surgery clinics has nearly doubled. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jan. 29 (Korea Bizwire) – Over the last 10 years, the number of doctors working at plastic surgery clinics has nearly doubled, marking a significant increase in this specialty within primary healthcare facilities in South Korea.
Dermatology clinics, another popular medical field, have also seen a notable rise in the number of physicians, with a 1.4-fold increase during the same period.
According to data from the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) and the National Health Insurance Service, as of January 2022, there were 1,769 doctors employed at clinics designated for plastic surgery, a 76.4% jump from the 1,003 doctors recorded in 2012.
The number of plastic surgery clinics themselves has also risen, from 835 in 2012 to over 1,000 in 2020, reaching 1,115 in 2022, representing a growth rate of 33.5%.
Similarly, dermatology has experienced a clear upward trend. The count of dermatologists at clinic-level medical institutions has increased by 39.6%, from 1,435 in 2012 to 2,003 in 2022.
The number of dermatology clinics rose from 1,047 to 1,387 during the same timeframe, marking a 32.5% increase.
The popularity of these specialties is evident in residency recruitment figures as well. In December of last year, a recruitment drive for first-year residents in the first half of 2024 saw application rates for plastic surgery and dermatology exceed 100%, with rates of 165.8% and 143.1%, respectively.
It’s widely understood that high earnings and a lower potential for medical disputes contribute significantly to the popularity of these specialties.
An official from a hospital-level institution highlighted this trend during a meeting with the MOHW in December, stating that opening a cosmetic or plastic surgery clinic can be more lucrative than undergoing internship or residency.
This has led to a ‘rush to open clinics,’ with many doctors choosing not to return to essential medical fields once they’ve entered the cosmetic and plastic surgery industry.
In response, the MOHW, which is pushing to increase the number of medical school admissions, is exploring strategies to attract medical talent to essential fields such as emergency medicine and pediatrics.
A spokesperson for the MOHW explained that while there’s an effort to direct more medical professionals towards essential healthcare, the increase in plastic surgery and dermatology clinics and doctors reflects the growing public interest in skin beauty and cosmetic procedures, driven in part by an aging population.
The ministry aims to meet this demand without stifling the industry, while also ensuring an adequate supply of doctors in essential healthcare areas.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
