The medical graduate school system was designed to enable talented individuals from diverse backgrounds to contribute to medicine in Korea. However, it failed to take root due to competition with medical schools, social resistance, and insufficient institutional preparation.
Introduction
The medical graduate school system was implemented in Korea starting in 2005. This system was modeled after the American approach of operating medical schools as graduate programs rather than undergraduate programs. Unlike the United States, where the medical graduate school system is considered well-established, in Korea, it is assessed as having failed to take root as expected. Although the medical graduate school system was not abolished, in the process of deciding to leave the return to medical schools to university autonomy, all universities except four decided to return to medical schools, and Dongguk University opted to run both systems concurrently. However, discussions about the potential for development and the limitations of medical education continue throughout this process. Let’s explore why a policy successfully implemented in the United States is assessed as having failed to take root properly in Korea.
What is a Medical Graduate School?
Medical graduate schools in South Korea are educational institutions that train physicians. They represent a transition from the previous six-year medical college system to a four-year graduate program. It is also referred to as a medical graduate school for short. Calls for introducing the medical graduate school system first emerged during the Kim Young-sam administration. Initially discussed as part of graduate school system reforms, the term ‘medical graduate school’ was first used by the Education Reform Committee in 1996. Later, during the Kim Dae-jung administration, when Lee Don-hee, the Minister of Education, served as Chairman of the New Education Community Committee, he reported to President Kim Dae-jung on the introduction of law schools and medical schools. This marked the start of full-scale preparations for the introduction of medical schools, culminating in the confirmation of a basic plan. For law schools, preparations began a bit later, during the Roh Moo-hyun administration.
Medical professional schools admit individuals with a bachelor’s degree or higher, and applicants must generally take the MEET (Medical Education Eligibility Test). The first class of medical professional school students was admitted in 2005 during the Roh Moo-hyun administration. Medical professional schools offer a different curriculum from traditional medical colleges, providing students with diverse majors and backgrounds the opportunity to bring fresh perspectives and knowledge to the medical field. Despite this intent, it is true that the medical graduate school system has not successfully taken root in Korea for various reasons.
Arguments for and Against the Medical Graduate School Policy
Arguments in Favor
– Individuals who have accumulated specialized knowledge over four years of undergraduate study or in various fields of society can integrate their major with medicine to achieve diverse advancements.
– It is a way to resolve the current phenomenon of excessive competition among applicants flocking to medical schools.
– The problem of talent drain from STEM fields can be addressed by improving treatment for STEM professionals and building infrastructure, rather than abolishing medical graduate schools.
– Furthermore, the entry of diverse specialists into medicine enables multifaceted approaches to medical research and treatment development. This can ultimately contribute to medical advancement and improved patient care quality.
Opposing View
– Medical graduate schools are sweeping up outstanding students from STEM fields, leading to a severe brain drain in STEM disciplines.
– The large number of military service-exempt students applying to medical graduate schools could disrupt the supply of military doctors, causing significant problems.
– Tuition fees for medical graduate schools are approximately double those of traditional medical schools, undermining the public nature of medical education.
– Furthermore, graduates of medical graduate schools may be at a disadvantage competing with traditional medical school graduates. Some argue this system is unsuitable given the need for education emphasizing clinical practice over medical research.
The U.S. Medical School System
Fundamentally, there is no significant difference between the Korean and U.S. medical school systems. Admission to U.S. medical schools is largely determined by GPA, MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) scores, personal statements, interviews, extracurricular experience, volunteer work and leadership, and research achievements. Some schools operate a combined program integrating a 3-year bachelor’s degree and a 4-year master’s degree for high school graduates.
U.S. medical schools offer M.D.-Ph.D. programs. These are funded through the National Institutes of Health (NIH)-established Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) to cultivate future physician-scientists who will lead medical research and education. Selected students receive medical education while simultaneously conducting experimental research under laboratory supervision for a specified period. Upon presenting their thesis, they graduate with both an M.D. and a Ph.D. degree. Physicians who complete this program become innovative clinicians who, while observing and treating patients after graduation, generate fundamental scientific questions and apply experimental techniques to contribute to understanding disease pathophysiology. Alternatively, they become leader-level researchers who reapply clinically observed phenomena to basic science or take charge of research fields within government agencies or industry.
In the United States, the medical college system has developed since the late 19th century. Throughout this process, collaboration between the medical and academic communities, active national support, and social acceptance played crucial roles. Against this backdrop, the U.S. medical college system operates stably, and physicians trained through it contribute to global medical advancement. In contrast, Korea’s medical school system faces challenges due to its relatively short history, social resistance, and insufficient institutional preparation.
