The count of general practitioners in these six popular medical departments reached 245 as of last month. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Oct. 26 (Korea Bizwire) – The number of general practitioners who have entered popular medical departments such as dermatology, orthopedics, plastic surgery, ophthalmology, rehabilitation, and diagnostic radiology without obtaining specialist licenses has doubled in the past six years.
According to data from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the count of general practitioners in these six popular medical departments reached 245 as of last month. This figure is approximately twice the 128 reported in late 2017.
Among these general practitioners, 160 were employed in plastic surgery and dermatology, specializing in skin and cosmetic treatments. Of the total, 87, or 35.5 percent, worked in plastic surgery departments, while dermatology departments accounted for 29.8 percent with 73 practitioners.
Following closely were orthopedics, at 21.2 percent (52 individuals), ophthalmology at 8.6 percent (21 individuals), rehabilitation medicine at 2.9 percent (seven individuals), and diagnostic radiology at 2 percent (five individuals).
Compared to the figures from 2017, plastic surgery witnessed the most significant growth in the number of general practitioners, increasing from 30 in late 2017 to 87, marking an almost threefold rise. Dermatology also experienced a more than twofold increase, rising from 28 to 73. Orthopedics recorded a 1.5-fold increase, growing from 35 to 52 during the same period. For the departments of ophthalmology, rehabilitation medicine, and diagnostic radiology, the number of general practitioners increased by two or three in each category.
It has become a trend among medical university students to consider job opportunities rather than pursuing specialist licenses, especially if they expect to work in less popular medical departments. This has led to a growing consensus on the need to address the phenomenon where medical students favor popular medical departments over essential but less popular ones.
A general practitioner refers to someone who has obtained a medical license but has not pursued specialist qualifications.
J. S. Shin (js_shin@koreabizwire.com)
