Korean J Fam Pract.  2025 Jun;15(2):89-95. 10.21215/kjfp.2025.15.2.89.

Comparison of Domestic and Foreign Family Medicine Residency Education and Training Systems

• Park SG

• KMID: 2569396
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.21215/kjfp.2025.15.2.89

Abstract

This review provides a structural comparison of education and training programs for family medicine residents in South Korea, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Across these nations, comprehensive, continuous, and patient-centered care is considered essential for strengthening primary healthcare. Accordingly, each country has implemented competency-based training tailored to its healthcare context. Despite this shared goal, residency programs differ in duration, clinical training models, curricular content, and post-training pathways. The typical duration of training is three years. Canada offers the shortest training at two years, whereas the UK and Australia require up to five to six years when including pre-residency components. While the core curricula are broadly similar, countries other than South Korea generally place greater emphasis on outpatient-based training. Additionally, differences exist in post-residency opportunities—such as training in rural or addiction medicine— which reflect national healthcare priorities and needs. By systematically analyzing the strengths and limitations of each system, this review aims to suggest improvements to Korea’s family medicine training framework and support the development of competent primary care physicians suited to the Korean healthcare environment.

Keyword

Family Practice; Primary Health Care; Internship and Residency; Curriculum; Graduate Medical Education