Gaijin MD

[japslapper]

Would anyone know if someone with a US or UK medical degree be allowed to work independantly as a doctor, in Japan? You see I am thinking my options at the moment. I have a Biology MS from the UK and thinking either to upgrade it to a PhD (3.5 years) or MD/MBBS (4.0 years). A medical degree entitles me to work anywhere I think (at most a few exams - no lengthy courses - what about Japan). I have heard of a few FG docs here but they all seem to have qualified here....


Talking of qualifications - the name of your Uni here is so important. At my last job the guy taking over from me , an American, and the supervisors first question to me after he had told me this was "how good is Oregon University?" ....ofcourse I replied "in the top 10!"

[Steve Bildermann]

Would anyone know if someone with a US or UK medical degree be allowed to work independently as a doctor, in Japan

I doubt very much in fact I'm sure that you would find it impossible to come to Japan and work as a medical professional.

This is akin to foreign lawyers who want to practice independently in Japan. The answer is yes it's possible in theory but just you try it and see how many hoops they make you go through before you give up.

I know there are foreign doctors and lawyers in Japan but they all work as 'consultants' to Japanese professionals. There are exceptions for doctors and lawyers who were here in the fifties but after that it's a closed shop.

[japslapper]

Thanks for that Steve.

I know as a med student I can do an elective to Japan (very little (no) hands on experience gained - apparently) for 6 - 8 weeks. Its not a popular destination for UK/US- med students I know. However a lot of Japanese study medicine in London.

At the other end of the spectrum - if you become the top specialist in the world then it looks like they will have you.

I suppose they like some international students around - good for PR and some top flyers around - good for PR. The general average family doc type - dont want to know. Mad. Surely an international workforce brings ideas, competition and progress. Oh yes they dont want that I forget that.


Another thing on this general topic - my old research lab in the UK (bacterial genetics) had 50% of staff from abroad - 27 nations in all! The labs opposite in Japan had 1 foreign member (4%).

I ask - can Japan survive like this?...How can it be in the scientific big 5? Any lab in the US, UK , Germany or France is like a mini UN - it depends on this -the diversity/conflict is life. Japan gets out a lot of publications (not many Nobels - considering the size of the population)......whats keeps it "strong?" or is that an illusion

[Steve Bildermann]

Surely an international workforce brings ideas, competition and progress. Oh yes they dont want that I forget that.

Yep you gotta work on that 'forgetting important stuff about life in Japan'

I ask - can Japan survive like this?...How can it be in the scientific big 5? Any lab in the US, UK , Germany or France is like a mini UN - it depends on this -the diversity/conflict is life. Japan gets out a lot of publications (not many Nobels - considering the size of the population)......whats keeps it "strong?" or is that an illusion

Actually you answered your own question when you said 'However a lot of Japanese study medicine in London"

That's how the research/industrial community operates in Japan. Japanese graduates/employees are actively encouraged to go overseas to work/study etc to gain 'experience'

After a few years they are reeled back to Japan and 'de-briefed' after which another set of eager beavers are send out to go data mining where their 'senpai' have been before. MITI has had this policy in place since the sixties.

[japslapper]

thnx Steve

But can you tell me why there is this Zoo mentality. Japanese/non Japanese. Even in their bus tours around New York they are protected by the invisible cage bars.

Mind Control? How does this work?

I can think of plenty places on this planet that are "different" but I think Japan has to be the only place that mixes without mixing......


and I suppose you know that any proved western medicine has to be tested on Japanese people before being given a license here.....yeah like fundamental biochemistry is different.. Americans, British, Italian, Chimp and Gorilla - if a medicine works it should work for all - but Japanese, you must test agin to make sure! Oh yes I forgot they are more "highly" evolved just like California sticky rice and the native stuff....

[Steve Bildermann]

But can you tell me why there is this Zoo mentality

You are asking me to explain why Japan does what it does?

oh boy, before I do can I warm up on something easier like explaining the meaning of life and answering the question 'is there a God'

[Taro Toporific]

But can you tell me why there is this Zoo mentality

You are asking me to explain why Japan does what it does?
oh boy, before I do can I warm up on something easier like explaining the meaning of life and answering the question 'is there a God'

Steve is being his too too polite self here.
As a sometimes participant-observer/victim, I'd say that a getting a Japanese MD is trying to join a criminal guild that is limitied to only those of true Japanese blood. Japan is only developed country that allows purchase of an MD degree via its unique "escalator school" system (that is egregious as Curious George Bush being able to get a Yale BA and Harvard MBA).

Speaking of criminal, I have to go back to my surgical robot presentation which I'm giving tomorrow to the aliens in the JV. The prototype has less than 1M yen of parts]oku[/i] yen WITH Japanese Health Ministry approval. The British price for the JV partner's nearly identical product sharing same Brit software is 2.8m yen. Everyone in J-med system ought to be shot, starting with me. :P

[Taro Toporific]

Would anyone know if someone with a US or UK medical degree be allowed to work independantly as a doctor, in Japan?

Japan reluctant to allow Pinoy nurses in JapanWednesday, February 25, 2004 7:41 AM /abs-cbnNEWS.com monitor
A ruling Japanese Liberal Democratic Party panel on free trade agreements (FTA) is reluctant to allow more doctors or nurses from the Philippines and Thailand to work in Japan, Kyodo News quoted LDP officials as saying Tuesday.

During the panel's meeting, members said Filipino and Thai medical workers should not be allowed to work in Japan as they have insufficient Japanese language skills to communicate with Japanese patients.....

The Japanese government is considering doing so as long as the medical workers obtain related state licenses in Japan.

But the LDP panel members are less willing, with some of them arguing non-Japanese doctors should be allowed to treat only patients of their own nationalities residing in Japan, the officials said.