Kinoshita Shotaro, Kishimoto Taishiro
Hills Joint Research Laboratory for Future Preventive Medicine and Wellness, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Information Studies, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Glob Health Med. 2024 Dec 31;6(6):433-435. doi: 10.35772/ghm.2024.01067.
Japan has seen an increase in female physicians recently, yet it still lags behind other Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. A major barrier has been the historical discrimination against women in medical school admissions. In recent years, female enrolment in medical schools has risen, surpassing 40% in 2024, reflecting a broader societal shift. However, structural problems persist in the Japanese healthcare system. Although the number of doctors per capita is lower in Japan than in other countries, the number of patients is higher than in other countries, leading to overwork for doctors. As a result, only about one-third of female doctors in Japan are able to return to work after interrupting their careers to give birth or raise children. The maldistribution of physicians, both regionally and by specialty, exacerbates this issue. To sustain the rising number of female physicians, Japan must reform its medical system.
日本近年来女性医生数量有所增加，但仍落后于其他经济合作与发展组织（OECD）国家。一个主要障碍是医学院招生中历史上对女性的歧视。近年来，医学院的女性入学率有所上升，2024年超过了40%，反映出更广泛的社会转变。然而，日本医疗体系中的结构性问题依然存在。尽管日本人均医生数量低于其他国家，但患者数量却高于其他国家，导致医生工作过度劳累。结果，日本只有约三分之一的女性医生在中断职业生涯生育或抚养孩子后能够重返工作岗位。医生在地区和专业上的分布不均加剧了这一问题。为了维持女性医生数量的增长，日本必须改革其医疗体系。
