1.Primary care education in Korean medical and nursing schools: current status, perceptions, and educational needs
Songrim KIM ; Yul Ha MIN ; Jun YIM ; So Jung YUNE ; Kwi Hwa PARK
Korean Journal of Medical Education 2026;38(1):44-53
Purpose:
This study examined the current status, perceptions, and educational needs of primary care education in medical and nursing schools to provide foundational data that can inform effective curriculum development.
Methods:
In total, 40 medical and 64 nursing schools were eligible for this study. Data were collected through an online survey using Google Forms, developed by the research team, from November 2024 to January 2025. Frequency analysis and independent t-tests were performed to compare perceptions on primary care education between the two schools types. Borich Needs Assessment and Locus-for-Focus model were used to identify and prioritize educational needs.
Results:
Responses from 21 medical and 24 nursing schools were analyzed. All medical schools primarily offered education in primary care clinics (100%), whereas most nursing schools offered it in community healthcare institutions (87.5%). Visits and observations were the most common educational methods (>80%). Reports, presentations, and discussions were the most used assessment methods (>60%). Multidisciplinary team-based practicums were limited in both medical (9.5%) and nursing (25.0%) schools. Both groups rated the need to expand primary care education and multidisciplinary team approach highly (>4.4/5). “Longitudinality” and “generalism” were educational priority needs across both groups, whereas other elements showed variations.
Conclusion
This study identified the shared and distinct aspects of primary care education across schools. The findings highlight the importance of enhancing and tailoring primary care education to each school’s specific context and needs, while fostering interprofessional collaboration to strengthen community-based healthcare.
2.Mediating effect of technostress on the relationship between artificial intelligence literacy and attitude toward digital technology among health professions students: a structural equation modeling approach
Jin Young LEE ; Yul Ha MIN ; Jun YIM ; Kwi Hwa PARK ; So Jung YUNE
Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science 2026;43(1):7-
Background:
This study aimed to examine the effect of artificial intelligence (AI) literacy on attitudes toward digital technology and the mediating effect of technostress on this relationship among health professions students.
Methods:
An online survey was conducted from May to October 2025 with 1,314 students enrolled in medical schools, nursing schools, dental schools, and graduate schools of dentistry nationwide. Structural equation modeling and bootstrapping analyses were performed.
Results:
The analysis revealed that AI literacy significantly reduced technostress and enhanced attitudes toward digital technology. Technostress also had a negative effect on attitudes toward digital technology, and a partial mediating effect was identified in the relationship between AI literacy and attitudes toward digital technology. In other words, higher levels of AI literacy were associated with lower technostress, which, in turn, led to more positive attitudes toward digital technology. Multigroup analysis further showed that the effect of AI literacy on technostress differed across majors, being significant for medical and nursing students, but not for dental students.
Conclusion
This study confirmed that improving AI literacy reduces technology-related stress and promotes positive attitudes toward digital technology. These findings suggest the need for AI and digital technology education designs that consider the psychological factors of learners in medical education. Furthermore, the observed group differences suggest that AI literacy may function differently depending on discipline-specific technological and educational contexts.
3.Current status and needs of community-based practice in public healthcare institutions among Korean medical schools: a cross-sectional study
Songrim KIM ; Bongeun CHA ; Sun Young KYUNG ; So Jung YUNE ; Kyung Hye PARK ; Kwi Hwa PARK
Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science 2025;42(1):21-
Background:
This study analyzed the status of community-based practice in public healthcare institutions in Korean medical schools and identified related needs.
Methods:
We conducted an online cross-sectional survey in which 32 of 40 medical schools (80.0%) participated between March and April 2023. We developed questionnaire items aimed at ascertaining the status and perceptions of community-based practice and analyzed the response data using frequency analysis, the Mann-Whitney U test, and content analysis with word clouds.
Results:
Of the 32 medical schools analyzed, 23 (71.9%) offered practical courses, and of those, 12 (52.2%) implemented practice lessons within courses. Among 20 schools, 18 (90.0%) required students to complete practical courses and over 50% offered these courses in the third and fourth years of the clerkship phase. Perceptions of community practice showed no significant differences based on whether courses were offered. Many schools have proposed that practice should be a continuous curricular element from the premedical to medical years. The primary challenges facing community-based practice were identified as faculty development, collaboration, and compensation of practice institutions. The following words were extracted from the respondents’ comments: practice, community, institution, student, education, faculty, university, and public.
Conclusion
This study identified the limitations of community-based education provided by Korean medical schools and we report findings that highlight areas of improvement. Notable among these is the need to continuously incorporate community-based practice into medical education while engaging in discussions and conducting research toward developing a comprehensive and systematic curriculum.
4.Current status and needs of community-based practice in public healthcare institutions among Korean medical schools: a cross-sectional study
Songrim KIM ; Bongeun CHA ; Sun Young KYUNG ; So Jung YUNE ; Kyung Hye PARK ; Kwi Hwa PARK
Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science 2025;42(1):21-
Background:
This study analyzed the status of community-based practice in public healthcare institutions in Korean medical schools and identified related needs.
Methods:
We conducted an online cross-sectional survey in which 32 of 40 medical schools (80.0%) participated between March and April 2023. We developed questionnaire items aimed at ascertaining the status and perceptions of community-based practice and analyzed the response data using frequency analysis, the Mann-Whitney U test, and content analysis with word clouds.
Results:
Of the 32 medical schools analyzed, 23 (71.9%) offered practical courses, and of those, 12 (52.2%) implemented practice lessons within courses. Among 20 schools, 18 (90.0%) required students to complete practical courses and over 50% offered these courses in the third and fourth years of the clerkship phase. Perceptions of community practice showed no significant differences based on whether courses were offered. Many schools have proposed that practice should be a continuous curricular element from the premedical to medical years. The primary challenges facing community-based practice were identified as faculty development, collaboration, and compensation of practice institutions. The following words were extracted from the respondents’ comments: practice, community, institution, student, education, faculty, university, and public.
Conclusion
This study identified the limitations of community-based education provided by Korean medical schools and we report findings that highlight areas of improvement. Notable among these is the need to continuously incorporate community-based practice into medical education while engaging in discussions and conducting research toward developing a comprehensive and systematic curriculum.
5.Current status and needs of community-based practice in public healthcare institutions among Korean medical schools: a cross-sectional study
Songrim KIM ; Bongeun CHA ; Sun Young KYUNG ; So Jung YUNE ; Kyung Hye PARK ; Kwi Hwa PARK
Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science 2025;42(1):21-
Background:
This study analyzed the status of community-based practice in public healthcare institutions in Korean medical schools and identified related needs.
Methods:
We conducted an online cross-sectional survey in which 32 of 40 medical schools (80.0%) participated between March and April 2023. We developed questionnaire items aimed at ascertaining the status and perceptions of community-based practice and analyzed the response data using frequency analysis, the Mann-Whitney U test, and content analysis with word clouds.
Results:
Of the 32 medical schools analyzed, 23 (71.9%) offered practical courses, and of those, 12 (52.2%) implemented practice lessons within courses. Among 20 schools, 18 (90.0%) required students to complete practical courses and over 50% offered these courses in the third and fourth years of the clerkship phase. Perceptions of community practice showed no significant differences based on whether courses were offered. Many schools have proposed that practice should be a continuous curricular element from the premedical to medical years. The primary challenges facing community-based practice were identified as faculty development, collaboration, and compensation of practice institutions. The following words were extracted from the respondents’ comments: practice, community, institution, student, education, faculty, university, and public.
Conclusion
This study identified the limitations of community-based education provided by Korean medical schools and we report findings that highlight areas of improvement. Notable among these is the need to continuously incorporate community-based practice into medical education while engaging in discussions and conducting research toward developing a comprehensive and systematic curriculum.
6.Current status and needs of community-based practice in public healthcare institutions among Korean medical schools: a cross-sectional study
Songrim KIM ; Bongeun CHA ; Sun Young KYUNG ; So Jung YUNE ; Kyung Hye PARK ; Kwi Hwa PARK
Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science 2025;42(1):21-
Background:
This study analyzed the status of community-based practice in public healthcare institutions in Korean medical schools and identified related needs.
Methods:
We conducted an online cross-sectional survey in which 32 of 40 medical schools (80.0%) participated between March and April 2023. We developed questionnaire items aimed at ascertaining the status and perceptions of community-based practice and analyzed the response data using frequency analysis, the Mann-Whitney U test, and content analysis with word clouds.
Results:
Of the 32 medical schools analyzed, 23 (71.9%) offered practical courses, and of those, 12 (52.2%) implemented practice lessons within courses. Among 20 schools, 18 (90.0%) required students to complete practical courses and over 50% offered these courses in the third and fourth years of the clerkship phase. Perceptions of community practice showed no significant differences based on whether courses were offered. Many schools have proposed that practice should be a continuous curricular element from the premedical to medical years. The primary challenges facing community-based practice were identified as faculty development, collaboration, and compensation of practice institutions. The following words were extracted from the respondents’ comments: practice, community, institution, student, education, faculty, university, and public.
Conclusion
This study identified the limitations of community-based education provided by Korean medical schools and we report findings that highlight areas of improvement. Notable among these is the need to continuously incorporate community-based practice into medical education while engaging in discussions and conducting research toward developing a comprehensive and systematic curriculum.
7.Psychological Impact of Academic Disruption on Medical Students: A Systematic Review
Korean Medical Education Review 2025;27(Suppl1):S3-S17
Academic disruptions, including pandemics and policy-related interruptions, pose a critical yet understudied threat to students’ psychological well-being and professional development. In South Korea, the physician–government dispute from February 2024 to August 2025 resulted in a sustained and unprecedented interruption of the medical curriculum. This systematic review was conducted to assess the psychosocial effects of academic disruption on medical students. We reviewed studies published from 2013 through July 2025 by systematically searching PubMed (MEDLINE), CINAHL (EBSCOhost), KoreaMed, RISS, and the National Assembly Library. Two reviewers independently screened and extracted data from 33 eligible studies. Psychological outcomes were categorized using a modified Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System framework to capture multidimensional impacts. Most studies documented consistent and substantial increases in anxiety (23%–84%) and depression (10%–65%) when clinical education and assessments were canceled or moved online. Beyond affective symptoms, qualitative synthesis revealed that the loss of authentic bedside learning and peer interaction weakened professional identity formation and diminished educational meaning. Although limited longitudinal findings suggested potential for post-traumatic growth, immediate effects were characterized by structural frustration and existential doubt. These results indicate that academic disruption generates a complex psychological crisis requiring multi-tiered institutional responses. Consequently, medical educators must prioritize strategies that preserve clinical exposure and social connectedness to safeguard the mental health and professional development of future physicians during periods of educational instability.
8.Comparison of Perceptions of Future Medical Technologies and Healthcare Services between Medical and Non-medical Students
Seon Yong LEE ; Sun Young KYUNG ; So Jung YUNE ; Kwi Hwa PARK
Health Communication 2025;20(1):17-25
Purpose:
: With the rapid growth of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), big data, robotic surgery, and telemedicine are transforming healthcare. Understanding how medical students, as future healthcare providers, and non-medical students, as future patients, perceive these changes is essential. This study compares their awareness, interest, and perceptions of AI-driven healthcare and future medical technologies.
Methods:
: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 167 students (68 non-medical students, 99 medical students) from diverse academic backgrounds. The questionnaire assessed awareness of Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies, perceptions of AI’s impact on healthcare, and expectations regarding future medical technologies. Data were analyzed using independent t-tests and descriptive statistics.
Results:
: Differences were found in the awareness of Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies depending on whether participants were medical students, while no significant differences were observed in their levels of interest. Non-medical students showed lower concern about data privacy breaches related to AI in healthcare. Regarding the perceived impact of future medical technologies on patients, non-medical students expected a greater reduction in misdiagnosis rates, whereas medical students were more concerned about the risk of personal data exposure. Lastly, non-medical students were more positive about the potential for faster diagnoses for physicians.
Conclusion
: The findings highlight differences in awareness and attitudes between medical and non-medical students. Tailored education and policies are needed to improve technology acceptance and ethical considerations in healthcare.
9.Structural relationships between psychological factors and college adjustment among medical students in South Korea: focusing on helicopter parenting and respectful parenting
Jin Young LEE ; Ie Byung PARK ; So Jung YUNE ; Kwi Hwa PARK
Korean Journal of Medical Education 2024;36(4):357-366
Purpose:
This study aims to determine the impact of helicopter parenting and respectful parenting on medical students’ mindset, grit, self-directedness, and college adjustment.
Methods:
This study constructed a hypothetical model based on the relationship between helicopter parenting, respectful parenting, mindset, grit, self-directedness, and college adjustment. It set up a structural model to test the fit of the model based on empirical data. The significance of the mediating effects of the paths was tested using multiple mediation analysis.
Results:
The fit of the initial measurement model did not meet the goodness-of-fit acceptance criteria; therefore, revised models were established. The revised models all showed good fit indices, and the overall path coefficients were significant. Helicopter parenting and respectful parenting are inversely correlated and affect the mindset of medical students, which, in turn, affects their adjustment to college through grit and self-directedness. The results of the multimodal effects of each pathway showed that helicopter parenting negatively affects college adjustment, while respectful parenting has a positive mediating effect on college adjustment.
Conclusion
Parenting attitudes have a significant impact on medical students’ mindset, grit, and self-direction, which affects their college adjustment. Parents need to respect their children’s autonomy and independence and avoid excessive interference.
10.Structural relationships between psychological factors and college adjustment among medical students in South Korea: focusing on helicopter parenting and respectful parenting
Jin Young LEE ; Ie Byung PARK ; So Jung YUNE ; Kwi Hwa PARK
Korean Journal of Medical Education 2024;36(4):357-366
Purpose:
This study aims to determine the impact of helicopter parenting and respectful parenting on medical students’ mindset, grit, self-directedness, and college adjustment.
Methods:
This study constructed a hypothetical model based on the relationship between helicopter parenting, respectful parenting, mindset, grit, self-directedness, and college adjustment. It set up a structural model to test the fit of the model based on empirical data. The significance of the mediating effects of the paths was tested using multiple mediation analysis.
Results:
The fit of the initial measurement model did not meet the goodness-of-fit acceptance criteria; therefore, revised models were established. The revised models all showed good fit indices, and the overall path coefficients were significant. Helicopter parenting and respectful parenting are inversely correlated and affect the mindset of medical students, which, in turn, affects their adjustment to college through grit and self-directedness. The results of the multimodal effects of each pathway showed that helicopter parenting negatively affects college adjustment, while respectful parenting has a positive mediating effect on college adjustment.
Conclusion
Parenting attitudes have a significant impact on medical students’ mindset, grit, and self-direction, which affects their college adjustment. Parents need to respect their children’s autonomy and independence and avoid excessive interference.

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