Collaborative program between university and clinic boosts general practitioner recruitment in deprived areas of Yokohama, Japan

The “Deep End Kawasaki/Yokohama” program in Japan addresses the critical challenge of recruiting and retaining general practitioners in resource-deprived areas. Launched in 2023 in a socially deprived district of Yokohama, the program establishes a collaboration between a local clinic and a university, creating a partnership that increases the number of general practitioners from one to eight, enhancing clinical care, education, and research opportunities. The program also includes community engagement activities for medical students and trainees to foster empathy and diverse perspectives. The initiative demonstrates a sustainable approach to improving health care delivery in underserved areas and offers a potential model for similar programs in other countries.

Deep End Kawasaki/Yokohama: A New Challenge for GPs in Deprived Areas in Japan

Makoto Kaneko, MD, MClinSci, PhD, et al

Department of Health Data Science, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan

Yokohama Kotobuki-cho Health and Welfare Exchange Center Clinic, Yokohama, Japan

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