Experience of Dual Medical License Holders with Medical Doctor and Korean Medicine Doctor Licenses in South Korea: A Qualitative Study on Their Motivations for Obtaining Dual Licenses, and Their Study and Work Experiences

Abstract

This study investigates the experiences of individuals holding dual medical licenses, including both medical doctor and Korean Medicine (KM) doctor licenses. The study examines their motivations for obtaining dual licenses, their study and work experiences, and their relationships with fellow students and physicians. The objective of the study is to gain insight into how dual license holders establish their identities in the South Korean medical system, which is strictly divided into modern and traditional sectors. To achieve this objective, a qualitative interview survey was conducted with six multiple licensees of medical doctors and KM doctors. The data indicate that interview participants were interested in obtaining multiple licenses either before, immediately after, or long after completing their first medical schools. During the process of acquiring multiple licenses, respondents recognized differences between biomedicine and traditional Korean medicine, and encountered conflicts between medical doctors and KM doctors in their learning process and relationships with their professors and fellow physicians. In this process, it can be observed that dual license holders are often required to choose between their Western medical identity and their KM identity, in situations where conflicts arise between Western medical doctors and KM doctors. Consequently, they may face challenges in fully utilizing their medical skills within the South Korean healthcare system. Unlike previous studies that relied on quantitative analysis, this study provides a comprehensive understanding of how the lives and experiences of medical holders of both medical doctor and KM doctor licenses are linked to the characteristics of the Korean medical system, from the perspective of medical pluralism.