No abstract available.
Licensure*

To provide the information about overall test reliability and test improvement, we analyzed the first fundamental medical sciences examination at the Kon-Kuk University College of Medicine on August 23, 1997. The results are as follows: 1. The number of the items in the test is 230. The range of the scores is from 32.5 to 61.3(average percentage score: 50.0+/-6.1). Among the 39 students, three(7.7%) passed the examination with percentage scores of higher than 60. 2. The correlation coefficients between the fundamental medical sciences examination and academic records are 0.4682(the first semester in 1st grade), 0.5933(the second semester in 1st grade), and 0.6538(the first semester of 2nd grade), respectively. 3. Among the 230 items, 47(20.4%) are too difficult or too easy. Therefore these items are recommended to be discarded. 4. Among the 230 items, 115(50%) have lower discriminative indices(lower than 0.14) and 55(23.9%) have higher discriminative indices(higher than 0.23). 5. Among the 230 items, overall acceptable items are 101; the range of difficulty is 0.15~0.84 and discriminative indices are higher than 0.15. Good acceptance is shows in pharmacology and microbiology.
Humans ; Pharmacology

BACKGROUND: Experiences on Objective Structured Clinical Examination(OSCE) for student assessment are limited in medical colleges in Korea. The purposes of this study were to develop an OSCE to fourth-year medical students after completion of all clerkships at Hanyang University Medical College. METHODS: The OSCE was a 8-station examination, with each station taking five minutes. We conducted two parallel OSCEs simultaneously by duplication. We checked each stage of the process in the development of OSCEs with recording of diary. We analysed validity and costs of the OSCE. We got feedback from all participants by questionnaires. RESULTS: Of the total 102 fourth-year students, only 74 persons(72.5%) were evaluated. The rate of pass was 63.5%. Cronbach alpha of the OSCE was 0.14. The scores were different between sites according to stations, especially in items related to attitude and physical. The total OSCE score was not significantly different either between duplication sites or among groups. OSCE scores didn't relate to those of both multiple choice tests and entrance exam for internship. Our use of only a few SP's contributed to relatively low cost of $85 per examinee. Both students and faculty were satisfied with the examination, and felt that the material tested was relevant and appropriate for primary care. The OSCE process served to identify weakness in the curriculum and/or teaching methods, and thus could serve as a mechanism to improve educational effectiveness. CONCLUSIONS: Problems of validity and reliability were detected in the developing process of the OSCE. It appeared financially feasible. Setting appropriate goal, optimum number of station, training of evaluators, development of good checklist, and enthusiastic support of the school's administartion were all needed more to success of such a program.
Checklist ; Curriculum ; Humans ; Internship and Residency ; Korea ; Primary Health Care ; Reproducibility of Results ; Students, Medical* ; Teaching ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Group characteristics(sociodemographic characteristics, attitudes and personal values) of the successful applicants of 1997 at Ulsan College of Medicine were compared with those of the unsuccessful ones. The principal data were the responses of pre-entrance examination questionnaire survey were administered to all applicants. The results were presented the headings of 1) sociodemographic characteristics, 2) financial status, 3) goals of college life, 4) reasons to choose university of Ulsan College of Medicine, 5) personal values. The results of the present study may serve as the basic data to make comprehensive and systematic plans for the adjustment of medical students in the future.
Head ; Humans ; Students, Medical ; Ulsan ; Surveys and Questionnaires

The implementation of the PBL curriculum is now a mandate not a choice. However, for the established schools with large numbers of students and insufficient resources, the whole-scale conversion from traditional curriculum to PBL is almost impossible. Various alternative curricula have been introduced to many institutions, but they all have more or less shortcomings that impede the advantages of PBL approach. To solve this dilemma, I proposed a new alternative PBL curriculum, the 'Triple-phase PBL Curriculum', which is consisted with pre-PBL, PBL, and Post-PBL phase. I also explained its rationale and advantages over other alternatives.
Curriculum ; Humans ; Problem-Based Learning* ; Schools, 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

No Abstract available.
Curriculum* ; Schools, Medical*

No abstract available.
Education*

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

The Korean Society of Plastic Surgeons was first founded in 1966 and the Plastic Surgery Specialist Examination was introduced in 1975. Ever since the foundation of the society and the introduction of the Specialist System there have been outstanding progress in Plastic Surgery. Recently, the number of general hospitals producing plastic surgeons has been increasing rapidly and there is a tendency that the capacity of plastic surgery residents recruited by each university hospital has also been growing fast. In spite of this rapid growth in quantity there appears the problem of risk in quality. There, therefore, should be a review on the curriculum for the training of plastic surgery residents in order to introduce future-oriented curriculum improvements in plastic surgery. I, hereby, would like to propose a direction for plastic surgery curriculum improvement by comparing the resident training curriculum of Korea to those of other countries in this paper.
Curriculum* ; Education ; Hospitals, General ; Korea ; Specialization ; Surgery, Plastic*