In Japan, young generalists work in various clinical settings depending on the needs ; they work as family physicians, geriatricians, and hospitalists/general internists. In this symposium, four young generalists from different backgrounds discussed the future of primary care medicine in Japan. First, they presented their dream of primary care. Secondly, geriatric end-of-life issues were discussed, and the suggestion was made that the obtaining of informed consent at an earlier time in an outpatient setting while including patients' families is important in terms of successful advanced care planning. Finally, the issues of career planning for young generalists were focused on. It was revealed that most young generalists understand the importance of obtaining various work-related experiences to develop their skills, but they find it difficult to set their career plan because of the lack of a support system. A stronger support system provided by the JPCA and enhanced solidarity among young generalists are needed.
-Report of a symposium held as part of the 8 th Winter Seminar of Family Medicine for Young Doctors, 3rd March, 2013 at Tokyo University.