Postgraduate Clinical Training Programs and Physician Recruitment in Post-Disaster Fukushima: A 15-Year Overview From the Hamadori Region

Following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident, the Hamadori region of Fukushima Prefecture experienced severe physician shortages. To address this challenge, three hospitals established postgraduate clinical training programmes aimed at attracting early-career physicians. We reviewed publicly available information on 61 trainees who entered these programmes between 2013 and 2025. Approximately two-thirds graduated from medical schools outside Fukushima Prefecture, indicating successful recruitment from outside the region during the early recovery phase. Over time, the proportion of Fukushima Medical University graduates increased, suggesting a transition from emergency workforce recruitment to locally established training pathways. Among graduates with confirmed practice locations, nearly half remained working in Fukushima Prefecture. These findings suggest that postgraduate clinical training programmes may contribute to physician workforce recovery and long-term healthcare system resilience in disaster-affected, ageing, and depopulating regions.