{"title":"The Impact and Implications of the Flexner Report on Medical Education in Korea.","authors":"Hyun Bae Yoon, Sun Jung Myung","doi":"10.3346/jkms.2024.39.e182","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The recent debate surrounding the expansion of enrollment in Korean medical schools has reignited interest in the Flexner Report, published in the United States in 1910. Historically, medical education in the United States transitioned from small proprietary schools to university-affiliated institutions, emphasizing basic science and clinical experience. The Flexner Report advocated for scientific medicine and led to significant reforms in medical education, including standardization of curricula and strengthened admission requirements. The influence of this report extended to Korean medical education, shaping its curriculum, accreditation system, and emphasis on academic excellence. The expansion of medical school enrollment has led to a crucial dilemma. Should we prioritize the training of physicians who provide practical medical services or continue to emphasize academic medicine as we do now? There has been insufficient discussion of the individualized curricula, necessary investments, and societal efforts to accommodate these changes. It is imperative to move beyond mere enrollment expansion debates and collectively determine the future trajectory of Korean medical education, devising actionable plans to achieve overarching goals.</p>","PeriodicalId":16249,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Korean Medical Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.0000,"publicationDate":"2024-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11164650/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Korean Medical Science","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2024.39.e182","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"MEDICINE, GENERAL & INTERNAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
The recent debate surrounding the expansion of enrollment in Korean medical schools has reignited interest in the Flexner Report, published in the United States in 1910. Historically, medical education in the United States transitioned from small proprietary schools to university-affiliated institutions, emphasizing basic science and clinical experience. The Flexner Report advocated for scientific medicine and led to significant reforms in medical education, including standardization of curricula and strengthened admission requirements. The influence of this report extended to Korean medical education, shaping its curriculum, accreditation system, and emphasis on academic excellence. The expansion of medical school enrollment has led to a crucial dilemma. Should we prioritize the training of physicians who provide practical medical services or continue to emphasize academic medicine as we do now? There has been insufficient discussion of the individualized curricula, necessary investments, and societal efforts to accommodate these changes. It is imperative to move beyond mere enrollment expansion debates and collectively determine the future trajectory of Korean medical education, devising actionable plans to achieve overarching goals.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Korean Medical Science (JKMS) is an international, peer-reviewed Open Access journal of medicine published weekly in English. The Journal’s publisher is the Korean Academy of Medical Sciences (KAMS), Korean Medical Association (KMA). JKMS aims to publish evidence-based, scientific research articles from various disciplines of the medical sciences. The Journal welcomes articles of general interest to medical researchers especially when they contain original information. Articles on the clinical evaluation of drugs and other therapies, epidemiologic studies of the general population, studies on pathogenic organisms and toxic materials, and the toxicities and adverse effects of therapeutics are welcome.