Evaluation of Premedical Curriculum at Korea University

Ahn, Duck Sun; Lee, Young Mee; Yoon, Mi Sun

Abstract

The educational goal of premedical education is to provide a desired college-level training in liberal arts as well as sciences, and to provide a basis for future medical studies. However, there has been concern that the current premedical education at Korea University has been unproductive and has not met the educational goals. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the current premedical academic curriculum at Korea University and to provide baseline data for developing an improved premedical curriculum. A survey involving faculty, residents, and students from Korea University Medical School was conducted. The results of the study suggested that the current premedical curriculum was not relevant to future medical studies and the General Studies Program as a source for learning liberal arts and humanities, were not appropriate. There was a growing need for structural and functional integration between premedical and medical studies and in addition to requirement of reinforcing the social and human sciences into the premedical curriculum.