PURPOSE: In order to enhance the goal of premedical education, we developed new clinical educational course of surgery for first-grade premedical students. METHODS: In 2015, from September 4th to December 18th, the educational performance records of firstgrade premedical students were evaluated, who attended the new, optional major class Introduction to surgery for future doctors. The non-compliance score was calculated as the sum of the total frequency of absences, number of late arrivals to class, and failure to submit the pre-lecture homework. This score was correlated with students' educational performance records. The premedical students' feed-back about this new class was summarized. RESULTS: Among 79 first-grade premedical students at Yonsei University College of Medicine, 43 premedical students (54.4%) chose to attend the new class. Premedical students' individual non-compliance scores were inversely and significantly correlated to written test performance (R²=0.237, p=0.001). In survey analysis, the mean score for premedical students' course satisfaction was 8.6. They strongly suggested this new educational course should be continued for first-grade premedical students with a mean rating of 9.1. Premedical students were very impressed and satisfied by laparoscopic surgical simulation and visiting the operating room, with ratings of 9.7 and 9.3, respectively. CONCLUSION: This class is the first movement to introduce the surgery to the premedical students in Yonsei University. In spite of their scanty medical knowledge, this clinical class can provide positive influence on educational motivation as premedical students. Further modification of this class is mandatory based on what we learned from this educational experience.
Education ; Education, Premedical ; Humans ; Motivation ; Operating Rooms ; Students, Premedical*

OBJECTIVES: There are several problems which hamper the successful teaching of writing in medical education. To deal with these problems, teachers should be conscious of two general questions; what to teach in writing class for premedical students; and how to utilize the writing class time. This paper examines the value of peer assessment and peer feedback in dealing with those questions. METHODS: This paper reviews a subject in premedical education, Logical Thinking and Writing, from the perspective of peer assessment and peer feedback. RESULTS: Students accomplished the learning objectives and they recognized the value of peer assessment and feedback. CONCLUSION: Peer assessment and peer feedback foster students' participation in class and accelerate the learning process. This strategy reminds students of the fact that they are writing an essay for an audience.
Education* ; Education, Medical ; Education, Premedical ; Humans ; Learning ; Logic ; Medical Writing ; Students, Premedical* ; Thinking ; Writing*

When a new educational system for college students in South Korea was established in 1946, the National Committee for Educational Planning adopted a 6-year curriculum of medical education, consisting of a 2-year premedical component and a 4-year medical component. For more than half a century, the premedical curriculum has received little attention. However, it is very important for premedical students to have a range of experiences that could be useful in their future medical careers. In 2005, another change was made to the system of medical education, in which medical schools without a 2-year premedical curriculum were established. This began to stimulate interest in premedical education, and more and more professors have become interested in premedical education as 6-year medical colleges have become more popular than before. Since 2015, the Education and Cultural Center of the Korean Association of Medical Colleges has annually hosted a workshop for redesigning premedical education; these workshops quickly fill up with registrants, reflecting the participants' lively interest in premedical education. The problems of premedical education are mostly due to students' and educators' attitudes. A more effective approach will be needed in the educational system of the future to train highly competent medical doctors. To judge whether an educational program is successful, its aims must be clearly articulated. For this reason, medical colleges must prepare premedical education curricula based on their educational aims. It is expected that the system of premedical education will be strengthened in the future due to the growing awareness of its importance.
Curriculum ; Education ; Education, Medical ; Education, Premedical ; Humans ; Korea ; Schools, Medical ; Students, Premedical

Despite the importance of how the premedical education curriculum is organized, the basic direction of the curriculum has not been evaluated at a fundamental level. In order to explore the basic directions of the premedical education curriculum, this study examined medical education as a university education, the historical basis of premedical education, and the direction of the premedical education curriculum. Historically, as medical education was incorporated into the university education system, premedical education developed based on basic science and liberal arts education. Accordingly, the direction of the premedical education curriculum began to split into two approaches: one believing in a basic science-based education intended to serve as the foundation of medical training, and the other believing in a liberal arts-based education intended to cultivate the qualities of a doctor. In recent years, however, the binary division in the direction of premedical education has ceased to exist, and the paradigm has now shifted to an agreement that premedical education must cultivate the basic scientific competence required for learning medical knowledge as well as the social qualities that a doctor should have, which are cultivated through the liberal arts. Furthermore, it has been asserted that the direction of premedical education should move toward the qualities that will be required in the future. With the fourth industrial revolution underway, the role of doctors is now being re-examined. This means that today's medical education must change in a future-oriented way, and the direction of the premedical education curriculum must be on the same page.
Curriculum ; Education ; Education, Medical ; Education, Premedical ; Humanities ; Learning ; Mental Competency

PURPOSE: Premedical education is one stage in which various educational approaches are used to promote critical thinking. Given that critical thinking ability could be regarded as one of the intended outcomes of social science and humanities education, this study explored the effectiveness of a course to promote critical thinking in a premedical curriculum using both literature and film. METHODS: Fifty-one 2nd year premedical students enrolled in a 'Critical Thinking for Premeds' course. Students were required to read or watch a selected material, submit group discussion agendas, attend five group discussion sessions, and write critical essays. Five tutors facilitated the group discussions, observed and assessed the students' performance and critical essay. Students' critical thinking disposition and opinion on assigned reading materials were examined before and after the course. A program evaluation survey was conducted to investigate the students' reaction after the course. RESULTS: On average, students appreciated 78.6% of the total assigned materials. The students indicated that group discussions and the narrative comments of facilitators contributed the most to develop critical thinking. After the course, the students' tendency preferring cheaper price books, as well as medicine-related books decreased significantly. Students who had critical essay scores greater than or equal to the median demonstrated a significant improvement in critical thinking disposition scores. CONCLUSION: The course was well-accepted by premedical students and had several positive outcomes. A more effective use of the course could be anticipated with a clearer explanation of the purpose, the consideration of previous reading experience, and use of complementary learning activities.
Curriculum ; Education ; Education, Premedical ; Humanities ; Humans ; Learning ; Program Evaluation ; Social Sciences ; Students, Premedical ; Thinking

Although student research programs have been implemented worldwide, research programs during premedical school have unique characteristics. The purpose of this study is to evaluate factors that influence the effects of premedical school research programs. Eighty second-year premedical students at Pusan National University were included in the study. Effect elements and influential factors were extracted through reference reviews and in-depth individual interviews. A Likert scale questionnaire was developed using the extracted elements and factors, and Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used to analyze the reliability of the survey. The mean value and the standard deviation for each question were calculated to evaluate education effectiveness and learning satisfaction, and the influence of each factor on effect was analyzed using correlation analysis. Students' research skills and knowledge were improved in the short term; however, interest in research or in a career as a researcher did not increase. Student interest, participation, and contributions were important factors. Among professors, passion, considerateness, and teaching method including the level of lesson were influential factors. Implementation of curriculum and support and guidance were influential as well, whereas evaluation system was not a factor. To improve student research programs, several factors that influence education effectiveness and learning satisfaction should be considered.
Busan ; Curriculum ; Education ; Education, Premedical ; Humans ; Learning ; Program Evaluation ; Students, Medical ; Students, Premedical ; Teaching

Premed education in the college of medicine at the Catholic University of Korea aims to promote student creativity and excellence in accordance with the mission of the college: to have a sense of calling, leadership, and competency. The Catholic Medical College premed curriculum includes 75 credits which are composed of 65 credits for required courses and 10 credits for elective courses. It consists of courses in basic science, medical science, liberal arts and humanities (premedical OMNIBUS). It also involves community programs in ‘Vision and Mission,’ ‘Leadership Training,’ and ‘Academic Conference.’ In addition, students are allowed self-directed choice of their courses and learning for one quarter.
Creativity ; Curriculum ; Education ; Education, Premedical ; Humanities ; Humans ; Korea ; Leadership ; Learning

The main points of issue with the former premedical curriculum of Seoul National University College of Medicine (SNUCM) were the absence of educational objectives, decline in student motivation caused by uniform education, students' lack of a sense of belonging, and lack of humanistic education. In accordance with these issues, there were five aspects considered for the improvement of the premedical curriculum: reform based on the newly established educational objectives that corresponds with the 6-year medical school curriculum as a whole, expansion of elective courses and the development of personalized curriculum for the improvement of students' learning motives, expansion of social sciences and humanities curriculum for the development of students' capabilities as good doctors, active participation of medical professors in premedical education, and expansion of informal education and the student support program. According to the assessment done after the implementation of the reformed curriculum, premedical students were gratified with its establishment and management of multifarious liberal arts and major subjects. In preparation of the more rigorous entrance quota of the premedical school at SNUCM, there is ongoing reform of required major subjects and establishment of new subjects in the premedical curriculum in pursuit of unity with the 6-year medical curriculum. Moreover, there is ongoing development of an e-portfolio system for the association of premedical and medical education, integration of formal and informal curriculum, and reinforcement of student observation and formative evaluation. Further discussion on the assessment and betterment of premedical curriculum is needed.
Clothing ; Curriculum ; Education ; Education, Medical ; Education, Premedical ; Humanities ; Humans ; Learning ; Motivation ; Schools, Medical ; Seoul ; Social Sciences ; Students, Premedical

As a part of study on curricular renovation in the premedical program, a new course entitled "Medicine : Science and Practice" was developed in an otherwise traditional premedical education setting wi th hopeful linkage of two objectives aiming for effective delivery of traditional academic contents from individual disciplines and drawing of a strong motivation toward future medical carrier development. The course was divided into two parts : a series of lectures at the phase I (the second semesters of Year I) and a subsequent session of student-centered seminars in small group session at the phase II (the first semester of Year II ). The topics in lectures and seminars were selected among the more practical, contemporary and hot medico-social issues being specifically designed to meet the educational needs/concepts of "motivation for future medical carrier development", "students learn from students versus self-instruction" and "active participation in learning process". Integration of basic sciences/cultural subjects to professional medical sciences/practice was more emphasized together with increase of attention to the humanity and socio-econonmic courses by which cultivation of problem-solving ability is possible instead of the present science-focused approach. The small group study was persistently encouraged in phase II to develop their confidence in successfulness of self learning. The course was also specifically designed to promote the habit of critical thinking on current medical issuse, to stimulate learning of general educational disciplines by usage of medical phenomena. The details of curricular development and operational strategies were described with examples.
Education, Premedical ; Hope ; Humans ; Learning ; Lectures ; Motivation ; Thinking

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