No. of plastic surgeons in private practice nearly doubles over 10 years
The number of plastic surgeons in private practice in Korea has increased by 1.8 times during the last 10 years on the back of the continuously growing popularity of plastic surgery among trainee doctors, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Sunday.
The number of dermatologists at local clinics has also risen by 1.4 times.
Plastic surgery and dermatology are among popular specialties for interns and residents, as these fields are lucrative and have lower risk of medical disputes.
The ministry said the number of plastic surgeons at local clinics stood at 1,769 in 2022, up by 76.4 percent from 1,003 in 2012.
The number of local clinics specializing in plastic surgery has also increased by 33.5 percent from 835 in 2012 to 1,115 in 2022.
Similarly, the number of dermatologists at local clinics was tallied at 2,003 in 2022, up by 39.6 percent from 1,435 in 2012, while the number of the related clinics rose by 32.5 percent from 1,047 to 1,387 during the same period.
The high popularity of these medical areas was clearly seen in the application rates of resident doctors at 140 teaching hospitals across the country, as the rates of plastic surgery and dermatology stood at 165.8 percent and 143.1 percent, respectively, in December last year.
This was in stark contrast to essential treatment departments, such as pediatrics, emergency medicine and obstetrics, which have faced significant doctor shortages.
As a stampede to several popular specialties has raised concerns over an operational crisis in key medical fields that are directly linked to people’s health and lives, a health ministry official said, “We are mulling over ways of inducing young doctors to opt to work at essential treatment departments, rather than choosing to open local clinics dealing with plastic surgery or dermatology.”
The official added, however, that an increasing number of plastic surgeons and dermatologists also reflects growing interest in plastic surgery and skin care amid a rapidly aging society.
“We cannot suppress this demand, thus policies to nurture medical personnel in these fields as well as those to fill up key departments will be necessary,” he said.
As part of efforts to tackle doctor shortages and deepening regional disparities in the quality and availability of medical services, the government is pushing to increase the enrollment quota of medical schools.
The government is likely to announce the possible increase soon.