Medical residents’ interest in and current status of Japanese postgraduate education in acupuncture and moxibustion: a follow-up survey

BACKGROUND Japanese traditional medicine (Kampo medicine) is an important subject in Japanese medical schools. Acupuncture and moxibustion (AM), essential categories of Kampo medicine, are taught in a few medical schools today. However, the current state of postgraduate AM education is unknown. OBJECTIVE To compare medical residents' awareness of AM before their AM education in the 4th year of medical school with that after completion of their 2-year postgraduate medical residency. METHODS We conducted a postal questionnaire survey of medical residents at the end of their 2-year residency. We required a signature on this questionnaire so that we could examine for changes in their awareness of AM with those determined by similar, signed, former questionnaire surveys conducted before and at the end of their 4th-year AM lectures in medical school (reported previously). The completed questionnaires were returned by mail or facsimile. RESULTS Among 93 residents, there were 72 (77.4%) effective responses. Only three residents (4%) had opportunities to learn AM during residency. Among the 68 residents who were not afforded the opportunity to do so, after completing their two-year residency, 32(47%) stated that they would like to study AM. Interest in AM was significantly less than that of the proportion of medical students (81%) who were initially interested in AM when surveyed just before their fourth year lectures on AM. CONCLUSIONS Postgraduate AM education for medical residents appears to be relatively scarce in Japan. Moreover, medical residents' levels of interest in AM were lower than those demonstrated before their 4th-year AM lectures in medical school.