There is a trial to increase as four years of the premedical course to make doctors with better humanities and variable educational backgrounds and good researchers in basic medicines. We studied the trial in the present situation of the Korean in scvcral vicwpoints There will be a confusion between doctor in a origanization and there are many problems expected with two different educational system in a countury Moreover, two years of premedical course and four years of medical course are enough to a clinician, especially a primary care doctor and there will be increased costs and late age to be a doctor if premedical course are increased as four years. It is not real reason for the lack of applicants to be good researchers in basic medicines that shot premedical course and lack of non-medical educational backgrouds. Also situation of medical school in Korea is not suffice to extend their facilities and faculties. Finally advantages from the extension of the premedical course can be gained with introductions of the limeted bachelor`s admission and or dual major system. The most important things is the single educational system to be a doctor and leaving the system to the discretion of the medical schools or universities
Education, Medical* ; Humanities ; Humans ; Korea* ; Primary Health Care ; Schools, Medical

There have been quite active discussions on the revision or improvement of medical education curriculum recently more than ever before in Korea influenced by the results of the National Medical Licens ing Examination for the last 2 years and consequently attempts to revise medical education curriculum became in vogue. Efforts to improve curriculum further became imperative with the introduction of university grade evaluation scheme. But, there appears quite a big discord or confusion in the real broad meaning of curriculum improvememt since curriculum changes mainly aim at raising the passing rate of the medical school graduates in the National Medical Licensing Examination in most cases. It is quite obvious that the main purpose of the National Medical Licensing Examination and the national university grade evaluation scheme is to produce medical doctors who are capable of performing primary health care and this purpose also meets the policy guidelines of the WHO. It, therefore, is very clear that the curriculum revision or improvement should not be focused on or aimed at only raising the passing rate of the medical school graduates in the National Medical Licewnsing Examination as it only has a very narrow sense of meaning.
Curriculum* ; Education, Medical ; Korea ; Licensure ; Primary Health Care ; Schools, Medical

BACKGROUND: Physicians rarely take patients' sexual history during routine medical visit, although it would give very helpful information to reach accurate diagnosis and proper management. This survey was conducted to assess the primary physicians' perspectives towards sexual history taking and their actual behaviors on it. METHODS: The survey questionnaire was made through the literature review, in-depth interview and pilot survey. We mailed this questionnaire to 400 primary care physicians who were randomly selected from the lists of internists and family physicians in Seoul and Gyunggi province and 73 of them responded. RESULTS: The mean age of the respondents was 44.3 years. Most of them responded that sexual history is necessary only when the patients' chief complaints are directly related to sexual issues. Among the total, 94% of them answered that he or she took sexual history in less than 25% of the patients who visited his/her own clinic during last one month. The most prevalent barriers to initiate sexual history taking were fear of patients' misunderstanding about sexual harassment or intrusion into patients' personal life (60.3%) and uncertainty to conducting sexual history taking (53.4%). They thought that they were not well educated enough to take sexual history with confidence and more structured education is needed in medical schools and postgraduate residency training. CONCLUSION: Sexual history seemed not to be taken by primary care physicians as a routine medical practice and physicians showed rather passive attitude. Beneficial effects of sexual history taking on patients' management and related communication skills should be emphasized and systematically educated.
Surveys and Questionnaires ; Humans ; Internship and Residency ; Physicians, Family ; Physicians, Primary Care ; Postal Service ; Primary Health Care ; Schools, Medical ; Sexual Harassment ; Uncertainty

It is essential that primary care physicians have a solid fund of knowledge of the diagnosis and management of common eye conditions as well as ocular emergencies, as management of these diseases commonly involves appropriate referral to an ophthalmologist. Thus, it is crucial to receive comprehensive clinical knowledge of ophthalmic disease in the primary care setting during medical school. This study investigated how well prepared medical students are to diagnose and manage common ocular conditions. The study used scores from a standardized 12-question quiz administered to fourth-year medical students (N=97; 88% response rate) and second-year medical students (N=97; 97% response rate). The quiz comprising diagnosis and referral management questions covered the most frequently tested ophthalmology topics on board exams and assessed students' ability to recognize when referral to an ophthalmologist is appropriate. Fourth-year medical students had quiz scores ranging from 0%-94.5% with an average score of 68.7%. Second-year students had quiz scores ranging from 27.2%-86.4%, with an average score of 63.8%. Passing rate was 70%. Student's t-test showed fourth-year students had a significantly higher quiz average (P=0.003). In general, both classes performed better on diagnostic questions (fourth-year, 73.7%; second year, 65.8%) rather than on management questions (fourth-year, 64.8%; second year, 61.8%). Both second-year and fourth-year students on average fell short on passing the ophthalmology proficiency quiz, and in general students were more adept at diagnosing rather than managing ocular conditions and emergencies.
Diagnosis ; Disease Management ; Emergencies ; Financial Management ; Humans ; Ophthalmology ; Physicians, Primary Care ; Primary Health Care ; Referral and Consultation ; Schools, Medical ; Students, Medical*

We reviewed the educational goals and objectives of the 32 medical schools in Korea, which is based on the 1992's, 1994's, and 1996's edition of the Directory of Korea Medical Education. The purpose of this study is to find trend of their changes and to help revise them. Among the 32 medical schools in Korea, 31(96.9%) described goals and objectives separately on 1996's edition, while 26(81.3%), 19(59.4%) on 1994's, 1992's, respectively. The medical ethics and morality was becoming more important; 30(93.8%) medical schools on 1996's and 1994's edition, while 26(81.3%) on 1992's. There were more emphases on the promotion of the ability of community services in health and of self study. For the promotion of the ability of community services in health; 26(81.3%) medical schools on 1996's edition, while 23(71.9%), 19(59.4%) on 1994's, 1992's, respectively. For the promotion of the ability of self study; 25(78.1%) medical schools on 1996's edition, while 21(65.6%), 15(46.9%) on 1994's, 1992's, respectively. The cultivation of primary care physician was becoming the primary goal of medical schools; 23(71.9%) medical schools on 1996's edition, while 12(37.5%), 9(28.1%) on 1994's, 1992's respectively. Teaching medical knowledge and clinical skills were still regarded as important; 21(65.6%) medical schools on 1996's edition, while 20(62.5%), 23(71.9%) on 1994's, 1992's, respectively. The inclusion of medical scientists in the possible job lists was also eminent; 14(43.8%) medical schools on 1996's edition, while 11(34.4%), 6(18.8%) on 1994's, 1992's, respectively. The ultimate educational goal of university was becoming prominent; 21(65.6%) medical schools on 1996's edition, while 15(46.9%), 11(34.4%) on 1994's, 1992's, respectively.
Clinical Competence ; Education, Medical ; Ethics, Medical ; Humans ; Korea* ; Morals ; Physicians, Primary Care ; Schools, Medical* ; Social Welfare

PURPOSE: This study was designed to identify current status of the subspecialist training programs and related factors affecting subspecialists' job selection. METHODS: The study subjects were 5,569 subspecialist trainees in 61 hospitals between 1989 and 1999. Among them, 1,260 subjects were selected to identify employment status after training. Also we analysed factors affecting career selection for 863 subspecialists on which basic information was available. RESULTS: About 26.6% of all subspecialist trainees trained in 1999 was for subspecialties in internal medicine, the largest majority, and 89.3% was in metropolitan areas. Also 91.1% were trained in teaching hospitals. Among subspecialists completed training, 79.5% selected career to work at general or teaching hospitals as of 1999, but 13.5% practised at clinics. The factors affecting career selection after training were gender, ownership of medical school, and specialty. CONCLUSION: The fact that not a few subspecialists work at primary care clinics means there are unreasonable human resource allocation and planning, with probable poor quality of primary care. Therefore, it is necessary to have a human resource plan at the national level for appropriate number of subspecialists, based on each specialty, in particular. Any structural factors affecting destination of subspecialist trainees, such as gender and graduated medical school, etc, should be dealt with in the long run.
Education* ; Employment ; Hospitals, Teaching ; Humans ; Internal Medicine ; Ownership ; Primary Health Care ; Resource Allocation ; Schools, Medical

The effects of children’s exposure on high concentration of airborne pollutants at schools often associated with increased rate of absenteeism, low productivities and learning performances, and development of respiratory problems. Recent studies have found that the presence of occupants in the classroom seems to give major effect towards the elevation of concentration of airborne pollutants in indoors. In order to evaluate and further understand on the significance of occupancy factor on IAQ, this study has been designed to determine and compare the level of selected physical (particulate matter (PM)) and chemical (carbon dioxide (CO2) and temperature) IAQ parameters and biological contaminants via colony forming unit (CFUm-3 ) for bacteria and fungi inside the selected classrooms during occupied and non-occupied period (first objective). The second objective is to describe the possible sources of airborne pollutants inside the classrooms at the selected primary schools around Kuantan, Pahang. Assessments of physical and chemical IAQ were done by using instruments known as DustMate Environmental Dust Detector and VelociCalc® MultiFunction Ventilation Meter 9565.The data were recorded every 30 minutes for 8 hours during schooldays and weekend at the selected sampling point in the classrooms. For microbial sampling, Surface Air System Indoor Air Quality (SAS IAQ) was used to capture the bacteria and fungi. The data obtained were compared with the established standard reference known as the Industrial Code of Practice on Indoor Air Quality (2010) constructed by the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH), Malaysia. This study has found that some of the IAQ parameters in the selected classrooms were exceeding the established standards during occupied period in schooldays compared to non-occupied period during weekend. Findings of this study provide the insights for future research including the site selection of school, arrangement of the classrooms and numbers of students per class.
Occupancy ; particulate matter (PM) ; airborne microbes ; indoor air quality ; primary schools

Since the World Health Organization identified interprofessional education (IPE) as an important component in primary health care in the 1980s, medical and health sciences educators have continued to debate factors for implementing effective IPE in the classroom. Although IPE research is widespread internationally, few studies have been done in South Korea. This study explored the current status of IPE and examined factors that influence IPE in South Korea. A total of 30 (70%) out of 41 medical education experts in medical schools participated. Forty-seven percent of the participants reported that they allocated less than 5% of their time implementing IPE in the curriculum of their schools throughout the 4 years of medical school. Although all experts (100%) agreed that IPE is essential for medical students, they expressed practical difficulties in implementing IPE in the current education system. Factors that influence IPE are scheduling and curriculum (e.g., rigid curriculum vs. providing learning environment) and attitudes (e.g., lack of reciprocal respect vs. willingness to change). In addition, participants reported that communication skills and collaborative practice employing clinical practice or role-playing would be appropriate education methods and content for IPE in the future. The findings of this study provide a foundation for the implementation of IPE in South Korea. Future research directions for IPE in medical, nursing, and pharmacy schools are discussed.
Cooperative Behavior ; Curriculum ; Education ; Education, Medical ; Humans ; Interprofessional Relations ; Korea ; Learning ; Nursing ; Primary Health Care ; Professionalism ; Schools, Medical ; Schools, Pharmacy ; Students, Medical ; World Health Organization

BACKGROUND: One of the main objectives of medical school is to provide high-quality primary care physicians. To fulfill this objective it is increasingly important to utilize ambulatory care setting, particularly community private practice clinic for medical students' clerkship. But program evaluation of this type of clerkship is lacking. The authors intended to evaluate the community primary care clerkship with a view to students' perspective. METHODS: We used students' and preceptors' evaluation forms with semi-structured questionnaires using 5-point Likert scale and students' essays for program evaluation. We analyzed 76 students' and 89 preceptors' evaluation forms by description, and categorized emergent themes from 89 students' essays using qualitative method. RESULTS: Over seventy percent of students rated overall satisfaction, achievement of knowledge, preceptors' educational effort, and practical application as excellent on the 5-point Likert scale. In the evaluation of the discussion topics with preceptors, they rated medical insurance and health care delivery system as relatively poor compared to other topics such as realities of private practice, management of private practice and equipments necessary in primary care. They understood positively the importance of patient characteristics and good patient-physician relationship in primary care, and the realities of private practice. They were also concerned about the problems of health care system and assumed a sound suspicion whether the education in medical school was practical in primary care. On the other hand, they showed ambivalence towards expressing the negative aspect of primary care in terms of the repetition of simple cases and lack of stimulation to achieve sophisticated medical knowledge. CONCLUSIONS: Community primary care clerkship was generally satisfactory in the students' perspective, which is necessary to standardize preceptor education and establish a role model of primary care in order to provide the soil for high-quality primary care physician.
Ambulatory Care ; Delivery of Health Care ; Education ; Education, Medical ; Hand ; Humans ; Insurance ; Physicians, Primary Care ; Primary Health Care* ; Private Practice ; Program Evaluation ; Schools, Medical ; Soil ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to introduce our experience of establish task-based learning outcomes for core clinical clerkships. METHODS: We first define our educational goal and objectives of the clinical clerkship curriculum according to knowledge, cognitive function and skill, and attitude. We selected clinical presentations and related diseases with expert panels and allocated them to core clinical departments. We classified doctor's tasks into 6 categories: history taking, physical examination, diagnostic plan, therapeutic plan, acute and emergent management, and prevention and patient education. We described learning outcomes by task using behavioral terms. RESULTS: We established goals and objectives for students to achieve clinical competency on a primary care level. We selected 75 clinical presentations and described 377 learning outcomes. CONCLUSION: Our process can benefit medical schools that offer outcome-based medical education, especially for clinical clerkships. To drive effective clerkships, a supportive system including assessment and faculty development should be implemented.
Clinical Clerkship ; Curriculum ; Education, Medical ; Humans ; Learning ; Patient Education as Topic ; Physical Examination ; Primary Health Care ; Schools, Medical