Exploring the experiences and learning of young primary care physicians in disaster-affected areas: A qualitative study on the Great East Japan Earthquake.

Background: Primary care physicians (PCPs) play a critical role in disaster medicine. However, it is unclear how PCPs who provide chronic support to disaster-affected areas learn from their experiences.

Methods: This qualitative study investigates the learnings of young PCPs who provided medical care during the chronic phase of the Great East Japan Earthquake disaster.

Results: Thematic analysis of interviews with five physicians revealed the challenges faced by them and their learnings in providing medical support to disaster-affected areas.

Conclusions: They not only learned medical skills but also humanistic aspects such as empathizing with the survivors' loss.