Free migration of health professionals in the WTO Doha Development Agenda has become a major concern among member countries. Keeping up-to-date registers of qualified doctors with good standing is crucial to protect the society. The Ministry of Health is the medical licensing authority in Korea. However, the stamping and distribution of the licences for the 21 different health professionals are the only functions of the authority so far. Once licence is issued, it can be used without further super-vision or evaluation, even when fitness to practice may be in doubt. To claim the equivalence of quality of the licence, each country should develop sophisticated systems of supervising maintenance of competence of doctors like the General Medical Council of the U.K., The Provincial Licensing Authorities of Canada, or the National Medical Council of France. These licensing bodies are established by national law for the public interest and not by doctors themselves, as opposed to the regional medical associations whose main concerns are money and work. This type of social system represents an effort to keep the autonomy of health professionals by rigorous self-control. Therefore the public supports the decision of licensing authorities regarding the conflicts raised from medical malpractice. By doing so, these organizations can lead the good medical practice and promote high standards of medical education. Faced with the globalization phenomena, it is the right time to establish an independent civilian licensing authority in Korea which would enable fellow doctors to devote themselves to the maintenance of high standards of professionalism.
Canada ; Education, Medical ; France ; Health Occupations ; Internationality ; Jurisprudence ; Korea ; Licensure ; Malpractice ; Mental Competency ; Professionalism ; Self-Control

Surgical techniques for facial rejuvenation have become highly progressed in the last decade. Until recently, little attention has been paid to the intrinsic mechanisms of skin changes, such as wrinkling, surface irregularities, and alterations of pigmentation, and other various aging phenomena. Superficial facial wrinkling was not embraced seriously. This attitude has changed for the better, and among the many methods and techniques now available are Trichlor Acetic Acid(TCA), Phenol, Alpha Hydroxy Acid, and several different types of laser peeling methods. Skin resurfacing has undergone many changes and still is in the process of evolution. My personal experience with Phenol, TCA, and dermabrasion began in 1990. In this article, I tried to explain the basic methods of skin resurfacing for physicians and surgeons who are not in the esthetic fields. Chemical peeling, laser peeling, and dermabrasion share common characteristics of would healing. For compiling the subtopic that relates to the resurfacing, I rather concentrated my writing on chemical peeling due to the short life-cycle of laser peeling technique with ever-developing new laser machines. New techniques and procedures continue to evolve rapidly. I have no doubt that what is written in this article will be improved or become obsolete, or even be discarded in the future. Since the ideas and techniques are not static, but incessantly moving forward toward perfection.
Aging ; Dermabrasion ; Humans ; Phenol ; Pigmentation ; Rejuvenation ; Skin* ; Surgeons ; Writing

No abstract available.
Fever*

No abstract available.
Humans ; Infant* ; Neurofibroma*

It has been reported that kanamycin, a useful agent in the treatment of gram-negative and other infectious disease, has a negative inotropic action in isolated cardiac muscle preparation and also it decreases the amplitude of high K+ -induced action potential of guinea pig atrium. These findings imply that kanamycin has a property of Ca2+ antagonist. In this study, the effects of kanamycin on cardiac Ca2+ current were investigated in isolated rabbit ventricular cells by using a whole cell clamp nethod.The results are summarized as follows ; 1) Kanamycin caused a depression fo cardiac Ca2+ current in a dose dependent manner and its effect was observed in a whole memberane potential renge. 2) The decreasing effect of kanamycin on Ca2+ current was inhibited by high Ca(2+)-Tyrode solution and such inhibition was also observed in high Sr2+-Tyrode solution, but in the case of Cd2+, well known inorganic Ca2+ antagonist, the current through Ca2+ channel was greatly decreased when the perfuaste was changed from high Ca(2+)-Tyrode to high Sr(2+)-Tyrode solution. 3) In the presense of kanamycin, the decreasing pattern of Ca2+current by repetitve depolarization was not specific as in the case of verapamil. 4) Neomycin decreased Ca2+ current similar to kanamycin.From the above result, it may be concluded that kanamycin has competitive antagonistin effect on cardiac Ca2+ current.
Action Potentials ; Animals ; Calcium* ; Communicable Diseases ; Depression ; Guinea Pigs ; Kanamycin* ; Muscle Cells* ; Myocardium ; Neomycin ; Verapamil

After briefly reviewing theories of standard setting we analyzed the problems of the current cut scores. Then, we reported the results of need assessment on the standard setting among medical educators and psychometricians. Analyses of the standard setting methods of developed countries were reported as well. Based on these findings, we suggested the Bookmark and the modified Angoff methods as alternative methods for setting standard. Possible problems and challenges were discussed when these methods were applied to the National Medical Licensing Examination.
Developed Countries ; Licensure* ; Psychometrics

The Journal of the Korean Medical Association (JKMA) established a new web site in July, 2010 available at http://jkma.org/. Here, we introduce the basic structure and concept of the new web site. The new web site provides current medical information from Korea to KMA members as well as global readers. The history of Korean medicine will also be organized in an easily accessible. Starting from this basic platform, JKMA will improve and expand other online functions in the near future. We hope every member of the Korean Medical Association enjoys browsing the content of JKMA through the new site and using the information they find in their clinical practice.
Korea

The educational goal of premedical education is to provide a desired college-level training in liberal arts as well as sciences, and to provide a basis for future medical studies. However, there has been concern that the current premedical education at Korea University has been unproductive and has not met the educational goals. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the current premedical academic curriculum at Korea University and to provide baseline data for developing an improved premedical curriculum. A survey involving faculty, residents, and students from Korea University Medical School was conducted. The results of the study suggested that the current premedical curriculum was not relevant to future medical studies and the General Studies Program as a source for learning liberal arts and humanities, were not appropriate. There was a growing need for structural and functional integration between premedical and medical studies and in addition to requirement of reinforcing the social and human sciences into the premedical curriculum.
Curriculum* ; Education, Premedical ; Humanities ; Humans ; Korea* ; Learning ; Schools, Medical

PURPOSE: The present study examined the possibility of standardization of medical education in three Asian countries-Korea, China, and Japan, by comparing their medical education and licensing systems. METHODS: As the criterion for comparison, we divided medical education system into three stages- basic medical education, graduate medical education, and continuing medical education. In addition, we analyzed the history and social and cultural backgrounds of medical education in each country. Recent changes were also examined. RESULTS: While little difference was found in the medical curriculums and courses between Korea and Japan, China's differed significantly from these two countries. But all three countries do attempt to keep up with international standards. CONCLUSION: To improve the quality of medical education in Korea, China, and Japan, these three countries need a plan to standardize medical education compatible with international standards but one that differs from western medical education by incorporating traditional medicine.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; China* ; Curriculum ; Education, Medical* ; Education, Medical, Continuing ; Education, Medical, Graduate ; Humans ; Internationality ; Japan* ; Korea* ; Licensure ; Medicine, Traditional ; Schools, Medical

The Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination Part II(MCCQE alpha) is a 20 station, multi-center, large scale OSCE offered for licensure purposes in Canada since 1992. The MCCQE Part I is a 2 day, 4 section, paper an d pencil examination. The content of the OSCE stations, identified as belonging to one of the 4 skill set:history taking, physical examination, management of an acute patient problem, and communications. In addition, the result of the 10 written stations assessing problem solving, and data management ability were grouped together to form a 5th skill set. MCCQEII is a criterion referenced assessment of the minimal clinical competence. The last 5 years result have been entirely satisfactory. The mean score across the 11 test centers have varied slightly, mostly due to variable representation of first time Canadian takers. The failure rates have varied from 13% to 17% for all the examinees and from 6% to 7% for the first time Canadian takers. The reliability estimates, determined by a Cronbach's alpha range from .72 to .81, and by generalizability analysis(GA) from .61 to .78. The dependability indices at the out off score were .99 for all administrations. The Canadian experience has demonstrated the feasibility of testing clinical competence using an OSCE at a licensure level. This report will describe the administrations of the MCCQEII.
Canada* ; Clinical Competence ; Humans ; Licensure ; Physical Examination ; Problem Solving