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Doctor and Patient

PRIMARY CARE

DOCTOR

CAREER INFORMATION

Meet Dr. Yoshizawa!

Hi, I’m Dr. Yoshizawa! I’m from Kahului, Maui where I spent much of my younger years playing tennis and running. I attended Baldwin High School, majored in Biology and minored in English at Pomona College in California, and got my medical degree at the John A. Burns School of Medicine on Oahu. I spent several years in Ventura, California for residency in Family Medicine and I worked for a few years in California and Portland, Oregon before moving back home to Maui to work at Kaiser as a family medicine physician.

 

I chose to be a primary care physician because I value health and wellness, I enjoy the challenge and complexity of practicing medicine, and I wanted to build relationships with people of all ages. I love the stories that patients tell me about growing up on Maui and my favorite part of my job is sharing the joy that people experience when they have attained their goals in living healthy and happy lives.

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What do they do?

  • Provide preventive care through routine physicals, screenings, and immunizations

  • Diagnose chronic conditions (i.e. diabetes, hypertension) and acute conditions (i.e. colds, flu) 

  • Treat illnesses by prescribing medications and administering injections

What equipment do 
they use?

  • Basic diagnostic equipment (i.e. blood pressure monitor, thermometer, pulse oximeter)

  • Stethoscope, ophthalmoscope, otoscope

  • Reflex hammer 

  • Eye chart

  • Hypodermic needle, adhesive bandage, syringe, scalpel 

  • Automated external defibrillator 

  • Electrocardiogram

RESPONSIBILITIES
EDUCATION
Education Guide

To become a primary care doctor, complete a bachelor’s degree with prerequisites for medical school and take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). Then, choose to pursue an allopathic or osteopathic medical school. Finally, complete a residency program and pass licensing examinations. 

STEP 1

Complete a bachelor's degree. 

Bachelor's Degree

  • 4 years

  • Any major 

  • Pre-medical prerequisites depend on medical school (i.e. chemistry, biology, physics, writing)

STEP 2

Take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT).

Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)

  • Required for admission to any medical school 

  • ~6 hour exam with four sections

  • Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems

  • Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems

  • Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior

  • Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills

STEP 3

Choose to attend an allopathic

or osteopathic medical school.

Allopathic Medical School

  • 4 years, M.D. degree

  • Classical form of medicine, diagnosing and treating human disease

  • Typically, first two years are a mix of class and laboratory

  • Classes: gross anatomy, histology, microbiology, pathology, biochemistry 

  • Years 3 and 4 consist of clinical rotations with different specialties 

    • *some medical schools start clinical rotations in year 1 (i.e. John A. Burns School of Medicine)

OR

Osteopathic Medical School

  • 4 years, D.O. degree

  • Holistic approach that focuses on hands-on methods to diagnose and treat illness 

  • Similar structure to allopathic medical school except curriculum has an emphasis on hands-on techniques 

What opportunities are in Hawaiʻi?

University of Hawaii Programs

1200px-University_of_Hawaii_seal.svg.png

John A. Burns School of Medicine

  • Allopathic Medical School

  • Located on Island of O’ahu 

  • Four-year M.D. program

  • M.D. Residency in Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, Pediatrics

  • Research institution that houses the largest biomedical research facility in Hawaii

​

STEP 4

Complete a residency program

to practice.

Residency

  • 3 years 

  • Different programs for family practice doctors, internists, and pediatricians

  • Must take the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination or Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination

CAREERS
CAREERS

Primary Care Physicians

  • Family doctors

  • Internists 

  • Pediatricians

  • Geriatricians

Work Environments

  • Hospitals

  • Outpatient clinics

  • Private or group practices

  • Long-term care facilities

Salary
Average for the State of Hawaiʻi

  • Entry level: $74,006

  • Average: $233,272

  • Experienced: $361,355

*Job Salary Trends*

*Average pay as of 2024*

SOURCE: Hawaii Career Explorer

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