Comparison of the 2011 and 2019 Kampo Medicine Curricula Across All Japanese Medical Schools

Abstract

Objective: To examine how Kampo education in Japanese medical schools changed between 2011 and 2019.

Methods: We administered nationwide postal questionnaire surveys about current characteristics of Kampo medicine education in all 82 Japanese medical schools, directed to the persons responsible for Kampo education at each university. One survey was conducted in 2011 and one in 2019. Analysis used Welch's t-test and a chi-squared test.

Results: The average class meeting time was shorter in 2019 than in 2011. The proportion of class meetings that were about Kampo saw a statistically significant increase in the third year and a significant decrease in the fourth and sixth years of medical school. Curriculum standardisation, preparation of simple textbooks, and fostering Kampo medicine instructors were the primary problems in both years. The proportion of mainstream medical education contents focusing on traditional Japanese Kampo medicine did not change over time, nor did the percentage of those considering using standardised textbooks. Other changes were statistically nonsignificant.

Conclusion: In Japanese medical schools, the number of class meetings teaching Kampo medicine has increased; however, this number is not statistically significant. Persistent problems in Kampo education, including curriculum standardisation, need to be addressed.