The Korean Medical Association said it would investigate to identify which KMA member physicians provided lectures for students of Oriental medical schools or Oriental medicine practitioners.

The KMA sent a letter to medical societies, clinics, and medical schools to notify the survey.

“Oriental medicine is increasingly invading our sector, with more Oriental medicine practitioners trying to use medical devices and prescription drugs,” the KMA said in the letter. “Oriental medicine practitioners say they should be able to use our devices saying have received ‘enough education.’ However, such practice is illegal.”

If doctors offer a lecture at an Oriental medical school or a training course for Oriental medicine practitioners, it could be abused as a way to promote the illegal medical practice of Oriental medicine, KMA said.

The group noted that it had already banned KMA members from giving such lectures and prohibited medical school professors from teaching at Oriental medical schools in 2015.

The KMA sought cooperation from societies, other doctors’ groups, and medical schools to find out the list of KMA member physicians who provide lectures for the Oriental medicine sector.

The fact-finding survey will include inquiries about the names of KMA members, titles and positions, departments, lecture names, lecture dates and time.

“Oriental medicine and medicine have different views on the human body. Oriental medicine is traditional medicine, which does not have a view that the human body is made of cells and molecules,” KMA Vice President Bang Sang-hyeok said. “Even if Oriental medicine practitioners learn partial medical knowledge and techniques, they cannot perform a medical practice.”

KMA has been probing lectures of physicians at Oriental medicine schools and will continue to do so, Bang noted.

“The use of medical devices and prescription medicines in Oriental medicine is illegal. I will stop the Oriental medicine community’s attempt to invade our sector,” he said.

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