Faculties in Korean Medical Schools: Their Specialties and Inbreeding

Lee, Yoon Seong; Chae, Soo Jin; Shin, Jwa Seop

Abstract

PURPOSE
This article is prepared in order to know how many professors are in our medical colleges according to their specialties and how is the "inbreeding", or status of employment to the college where he/she graduated. METHODS: Based on [Current Educational Status of Medical Schools] put out by the Korean Council of Deans of Medical College, in May 2002, we had 7, 867 professors in 41 medical schools. RESULTS: Among them, 7, 280 (92.5%) were medical doctors (MD). There had been 1, 063 new professors since May 1998. The biggest one has 808 and the smallest has 46 professors. Although there was a small increase in the number of professors in most specialties, dermatology, plastic surgery, ophthalmology, ENT, and psychiatry showed a small decrease. This is because many doctors in these specialties had opened private clinics after the 2002 Dispute on Health Insurance System. The MD faculties at 8 medical schools, which were established before 1965, were comprised of 83.8% of their own graduates, while those at 14 medical schools (established between 1965 - 1982) had 37.3% of their own graduates. CONCLUSION: This "inbreeding" of faculty members was prominent in older schools though this tendency could also be seen in younger schools. Early exposure to and communication with other institutes or facilitates the reduction of the "inbreeding" phenomenon.