울산의대 교육과정의 경험

Experience of New Curriculum in college of Medicine, University of Ulsan

It has pointed out that there are problems in the traditional medical education in Korea. First of all, basic science and clinical education were not integrated so that students can not develop abilit ies to incorporate scientific concepts and principles into solving clinical problems. In order to improve medical education, new educational program was developed in College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, which started medical education in 1990. Among the many types of new medical educational system, the program from the University of Calgary, which was thought to be more applicable to educational environment in Korea, was adopted. The new program comprises principles of (1) integrated teaching, (2) patient-oriented, (3) problem-oriented, (4) student-oriented, (5) adoption of core and elective course and (6) self learning. During the first two year period, integrated curriculum of eleven system courses(musculoskeletal, hematology oncology, immunology and infection, gastroenterology, endocrinology, reproductive, nephrology, cardiology, pulmonology and neuroscience), introductory course, continuity course, elective course, clinical skills, independent study and integrative course were proceeded. Students have spent the last two years in clinical clerkships, including 4 months of elective course. Students evaluated the integrated curriculum as being satisfactory for clinical education, but not enough for basic science education.