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: Pharmacy curriculum change was made from a 4-year program to a 2+4 year program in year 2009 in Korea. The change has resulted in more educational exposures on patient-centered practice environments for about 1,400 hours in the last year of the professional pharmacy program. When the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak hit Seoul and suburban areas and propagated to other provinces in Korea, emergency response to avoid student infection in the pharmacy practice sites became an urgent issue. While other health professional programs such as medicine and nursing had activated emergency preparedness manuals, timely and clear guidelines were not disseminated to all pharmacy programs and protective measures largely relied on individual pharmacy program. METHODS: A survey was developed by the Committee on Pharmacy Practice Experience Programs in the Korean College of Clinical Pharmacy to document the status of pharmacy programs during the Korea MERS outbreak in 2015. The 10-question survey was distributed to the pharmacy practice experience coordinators to 34 out of 35 pharmacy schools in Korea by emails. RESULTS: Our findings showed that 82.4% of the program coordinators (28/34) responded to the survey, 96.4% of the programs did not have emergency preparedness manuals, administrative meetings were held in 89.3% of the pharmacy programs, the rotation schedules were modified or withheld in 53.6% of schools, and the changes were mostly observed from the programs classified as MERS outbreak regions. CONCLUSION: Further needs in establishing the emergency preparedness manual should be explored for pharmacy education stakeholders.
Appointments and Schedules ; Civil Defense ; Coronavirus Infections* ; Curriculum ; Education* ; Education, Pharmacy ; Electronic Mail ; Emergencies ; Health Occupations ; Humans ; Korea ; Middle East* ; Nursing ; Pharmacy* ; Schools, Pharmacy ; Seoul

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

Observation of the current Korean medical education and training system shows that certain negative traits of unchangeable solidification engraft themselves so deeply into the overarching system that they are now hampering the state of the national health welfare. Focusing only on undergraduate medical education, we can point out some glaring side-effects that should be of concern to any stakeholder. For instance, a graduate can legally begin his career as an independent practitioner immediately after passing the licensing exam and return to the old stuck school-year system of 2-year-premedical and 4-year-medical programs where outcome-based and integrated curricula are incomplete and unsatisfactory. In terms of learning opportunities, the balance between patient care and public health, as well as that between in-hospital highly specialized practice and community-based general practice, has worsened. Every stakeholder should be aware of these considerations in order to obtain the insight to forge a new direction. Moreover, our medical schools must prepare our students to take on the global roles of patient care within the Fourth Industrial Revolution, health advocacy for the imminent super-aged society, and education and research in the bio-health industry, by building and applying the concept of academic medicine. We will need to invest more resources, including educational specialists, into the current undergraduate medical education system in order to produce proper outcomes, smart curriculum, innovative methods of teaching and learning, and valid and reliable monitoring and evaluation. The improved quality of undergraduate medical education is the starting point for the success of the national system for public health and medical care as a whole, and therefore its urgency and significance should be emphasized to the public. The medical society should go beyond fixing what is broken and usher in a new era of cooperation and collaboration that invites other health professionals, governmental partners, law-makers, opinion leaders, and the general public in its steps toward the future.
Cooperative Behavior ; Curriculum ; Education ; Education, Medical ; Education, Medical, Undergraduate ; General Practice ; Glare ; Health Occupations ; Humans ; Learning ; Licensure ; Patient Care ; Public Health ; Schools, Medical ; Societies, Medical ; Specialization

The written examination that is being used as the only tool to assess the learning ability of the students in Korea tests the degree to which each student has mastered the learning objectives. Idealy, the examination should test the students' in three major categories of objectives ; cognitive, motor-skills and affective area, and include various types of question items. In reality, however, the tests are very much simplified both in objective categories and types of question items simply because of the carelessness and conveniences of teachers. This study analyzes the pattern of objective categories, types of question items, and the number of question items of a mid-term examination of one medical school in Seoul. Fifty junior faculties from 50 departments and teaching units were asked to assess the question items of their own departmental examination after a guideline had been given by the authors. Major findings as obtained from the study are as follows ; 1. More than half (56.4%) of the test items were related to the cognitive area and only 10.8% of all the test items were related to motor-skills. Test items of pre-med courses were much more ideal than those of other medical and nursing courses in distribution of objective categories. Only 4.7% of the items of clinical medical courses were for evaluation of motor-skills. 2. In types of question items, 57.1% were essay type and the rest 43.9% were selection type. Test items of clinical medical courses were adopting the most ideal pattern in types of test items by having more than 4 different types of question items. 3. Average number of question items per teaching subject was 27.3 (range : 6-71). Some departments and teaching units were giving students too many test items in a given time period (50 minutes). In conclusion, written examination in a medical college varies in testing students' learning objectives, and types and number of test items by departments and teaching units. It is supported that before making test items, consideration on learning objective categories, types of question items and the number of question items in very much needed.
Humans ; Korea ; Learning* ; Nursing ; Schools, Medical ; Seoul*

Biomedical Research ; Education, Medical ; Schools, Medical ; Singapore ; Universities

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

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*