The Impact of Japans 2004 Postgraduate Training Program on Intra-Prefectural Distribution of Pediatricians in Japan

摘要

ObjectiveInequity in physician distribution poses a challenge to many health systems. In Japan, a new postgraduate training program for all new medical graduates was introduced in 2004, and researchers have argued that this program has increased inequalities in physician distribution. We examined the trends in the geographic distribution of pediatricians as well as all physicians from 1996 to 2010 to identify the impact of the launch of the new training program.