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Becoming a doctor in Japan 2017/7/6 19:50
Hello everyone.
I'm a student in Germany.
I want to study medicine to become a doctor in the future.
I'm thinking of studying in Japan but my Japanese is lacking. Since I'm studying for school, I don't have time for learning Japanese.

I want to ask all medical students what they study for medicine.
There are many foreign words such as "thorax" or machines like CT or MRI but these words are English. If I want to communicate with a Japanese doctor, do I use the Japanese words instead of the English/Latin words?
Is it okay for a foreigner like me not to know these words in Japanese?

It's difficult to ask... I hope some of you understand!
I think it's rare to find medical students here...

Please tell me what kind of medicine you study and tell me what you study for it!

Thank you in advance!
by wtnb46  

Re: Becoming a doctor in Japan 2017/7/7 12:47
to become a doctor in Japan you to know Japanese, because you are talking with Japanese doctors and patients. Also you need to study in Japan to have the right certification.

But I don`t know for sure, but in Japan a foreign doctor can only treat a patient from his/her own country not Japanese patients.


by justmyday rate this post as useful

Re: Becoming a doctor in Japan 2017/7/7 12:56
Not a doctor, but rather a patient and with access to a patient portal, where everything is in Japanese. I speak Japanese at an advanced level – except of course for medical terms, since I never need those until now, and am learning. But I can tell you that you will indeed need advanced Japanese in general, and specific knowledge of Japanese for the medical terms that describe the body, treatments, etc. Sure – the doctors do use abbreviations such as CT, PET, etc. – but even for medications – Japanese words are used since the same medication is produced by a Japan–licensed pharmaceutical firm and sold under their brand. For example - Acetaminophen, the generic name for a common pain killer is Caronaru (but written in katakana). And on top of the Japanese you will need, you will also need the English/Latin/German, assuming that you want to keep abreast of developments in your specialty.

So, if you want to be a doctor in Japan, I suspect that you need to go thru medical school here, or at least top-up your medical training obtained there with a couple-years` worth of a specialty degree pursued here.
by Paul (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Becoming a doctor in Japan 2017/7/7 14:23
Japanese doctors where highly influences by german mediacal teacher in the past. so you will be surprised how many terms are actually GERMAN (not english)
by Glimpigumpi rate this post as useful

Re: Becoming a doctor in Japan 2017/7/7 22:57
Not only Japanese doctors all doctors around the world where heavily influenced by German doctors. Before the rise of the US in science, German was the center of the world.
I also read an interesting paper, where they found a cure in old German text for healing some human condition, ironically it was later nonsensically discredited because it did not work in animal, despite provenly effective in humans.

Anyhow pretty shocking i can never be a doctor because i would not have the time to keep abreast.
by Kenshiro (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Becoming a doctor in Japan 2017/7/7 23:09
it will be much much easier for German speaking students to become medical doctors in Germany than in Japan.
by ken (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Becoming a doctor in Japan 2017/7/7 23:48
LoL yes, but its so depressing to be reminded in what you cant do, so many things in life, even if you really manage to become something it wont help you if you do not have more time to keep abreast.


But seriously becoming a Japanese doctor seems to have more potential, Japan is expanding spreading know how and selling medical stuff all over east asia, while at least from my perspective in the poorer regions of Germany the hospitals seem to go downhill. But that might be just my Impression. The actual numbers are probably very different.
by Kenshiro (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Becoming a doctor in Japan 2017/7/8 01:20
Thank you very much for your answers!

I got the chance to work in a hospital of my relatives in Japan so I have to study. (Yes, I'm actually Japanese lol)
I think being able to speak German and understand Latin may be an advantage to become a doctor but I'm not sure.
Also, I haven't seen any Asian doctors in Germany so I think it might be easier to work in Japan rather than Germany.

If everyone tries their best, they can reach their dream!

I know, it's still a long way to study medicine since the level is very high but I enjoy it.
But I appreciate your comments and thoughts!!
by wtnb46 rate this post as useful

Re: Becoming a doctor in Japan 2017/7/8 03:11
Well i have seen some asian doctors, but only on tv in a documentary or asians that are not east asian.
I think as skilled doctor you can nearly work everywere. Japanese are generally thought to be clever.


But despite some might think trying to become a doctor in Japan might be an injustifiable risk, just imagine how great the feeling is if you make it. No money in the world, no wife, no secured living for you can even closely resemble the proud you have in yourself to make it despite all odds.

By the way do you know any cheap but good Japanese restaurant in Frankfurt or Düsseldorf?
by Kenshiro (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Becoming a doctor in Japan 2017/7/8 18:08
My dream since my childhood was to become a doctor since I want to save people's life. I think that's the point of being a doctor, not because of money.

Cheap restaurants?
I don't know about Düsseldorf but in Frankfurt, I actually know only one lol I'm not sure if the food there is good or whether it's cheap or not. If you go straight from the main station (Hauptbahnhof), there must be one. It has been a while I went to Frankfurt.
If I go to Frankfurt again, I could look for more lol
by wtnb46 rate this post as useful

Re: Becoming a doctor in Japan 2017/7/13 21:07
Hi! I am a naturalized japanese and a doctor in the philippines as well. Been practicing for 2 yrs as pediatrician. I would like to ask if you have encountered filipino doctor in japan?my family are staying in japan. I am in the phil because i think i cant practice medicine in japan. But reading your answers gives me hope that i can be a doctor in japan. I would like to ask on the process you have been through and what should i do to practice my profession? Where did u study japanese language? What is your medical school in japan? Thank you for your answer. Hope u could help me
by Mikayla (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Becoming a doctor in Japan 2017/7/13 21:10
Well, if you want to study in Japan and become a medical doctor, you will need to speak, read and write excellent Japanese. Assuming that you don't know any Japanese right now, calculate that you will need at least 2 years of intensive language study before you come to that level. Obviously if you already know some Japanese it will be easier.
Regarding medical terms, I was used to that most medical terms in European languages are similar, so quite easy to learn. Not so in Japan. Most medical terms have kanji names, i.e. Japanese names. Yes, there are probably some German words カルテ springs to mind, and some English terms, but in general it will be Japanese only.
However, if this is what you want to do in your life, go for it.
by LikeBike rate this post as useful

Re: Becoming a doctor in Japan 2017/7/13 21:41
I dont know why everyone talks about equipment names but you need to talk with patients in such a politeness level. You need to inform what they have and need to know Japanese medicine since it is different from other countries. Also all the medical terms for body parts including tools.

Also long study at the university where the main language will be Japanese.

I'm working in the pharmaceutical industry and work often with Japanese medicine companies but knowing all the terms of medicine, which powder is called what is already hard to learn.
by justmyday rate this post as useful

Re: Becoming a doctor in Japan 2017/7/13 22:12
if you pass the national medical examination for doctors, all written in Japanese, you can be a doctor in Japan.
recent examination:
http://www.mhlw.go.jp/seisakunitsuite/bunya/kenkou_iryou/iryou/topics/...
by ken (guest) rate this post as useful

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