The idea that medicine itself imposes certain obligations upon the physician probably originated in Greece. It is Socrates in the fifth century BC who first discussed medical professionalism. Socrates said that no physician should seek the advantage of the physician but of the patient. For the physician was a ruler of bodies and not a money-maker. However, it is Hippocrates, the contemporary of Socrates and the Father of Medicine, who founded medical professionalism education and professional medical ethics. The professional spirit of Greek physicians is summed up in the magic phrase 'love of humanity.' In Epidemics I, Hippocrates expressed hope that physicians would help patients, or at least do them no harm. He also said, "Life is short; Art is long" in The Aphorisms. Here he described the reflective philosopher and the practiced physician. At once he sang the shortness of human life and the extent of the medical arts. Moreover, he made students swear by the gods that "I will keep pure and holy both my life and my art." The Oath can serve as a coherent starting point and organizing framework for medical professionalism education and professional medical ethics. We need to have an opportunity to employ this fascinating text in teaching medical professionalism and medical ethics. In this article, the author asserts that the Hippocratic Aphorism (Life is short; Art is long) and The Oath, the most famous work of the entire Hippocratic collection, should be used for medical professionalism education.

This paper summarizes the concept of medical professionalism and presents its direction. Toward this end, the authors compare the characteristics of a professional with those of a craftsman and a technician. The authors describe the construct of medical professionalism on the assumption that knowledge and technical competence are necessary but not sufficient conditions for the professional. The construct of medical professionalism could be defined variously, depending on the time, place, or collectivity. The authors furthermore summarize cases for the development process of medical professionalism and then compare Korean medical professionalism with that of the West. Finally, the authors present the development direction of medical professionalism in Korea.

The purpose of this article is to discuss the enhancement of medical professionalism and the artisan spirit proposed by Yu and to suggest curriculum content and methods to improve medical professionalism. Professionals are those who can share their knowledge with others and proceed under self-reflection on moral values and social expectations. The goal of medical education is to cultivate students to be good as well as to do well. To achieve this goal, educators should foster students to be good doctors for 99% of patients, rather than to be high performers for 1% of patients. There are two types of curriculum for medical professionalism: hidden and formative curricula. In these curricula, we doctors may be good role models for medical students. The curriculum contents and the methods for implementation that are based on accumulated experience can be embedded into education on professionalism. In addition, as suggested by Miller, how to evaluate medical professionalism based on a framework of clinical assessment must be discussed. Finally, it is suggested that the process of education on medical professionalism should be a kind of cultural movement to raise good doctors.

The purpose of this study was to observe how Ajou University School of Medicine runs its curriculum to cultivate professionalism. The paper also proposes a plan for the next step for the school. The Patient-Doctor-Society (PDS) course, begun in 2009, can be summarized by three characteristics. First, the PDS course is an integrated curriculum that is not a one-time program for a specific grade, but a continuous program open for all medical students. Second, the PDS course is designed following the philosophy and educational goals of the institution, and the curriculum assures maximum autonomy. Third, the PDS course is 'whole person education' that provides knowledge and teaches skills and an attitude. By analyzing the pros and cons of the program through annual evaluation, leaders of the program at Ajou will continue to consider what to teach and how to do so.

For decades medical educators have continually emphasized medical professionalism, which is reflective response to the challenges of a rapidly changing medical environment. This study aimed to review the experience of implementing medical professionalism education at Yonsei University College of Medicine (YUCM). YUCM introduced a new curriculum in 2004 designed by Curriculum Development Project 2004 (CDP2004), a project that was launched in 2001. CDP2004 reorganized lectures as organ-based integrated lectures, introduced an introductory course for clinical medicine and medical humanities courses for premedical and medical students. Problem-based learning (PBL), elective courses, and self-study sessions in the afternoon were implemented in order to equip students with a self-directed learning attitude as medical professionals. Professors were asked by the CDP2004 curriculum to spend more time on student education and to adopt new teaching methods. Experiences of the CDP2004 curriculum reveals 1) difficulty of motivating professors to be PBL tutors 2) students' dissatisfaction with the medical humanities course (major critique was that the course was impractical and unrealistic), and 3) students' optimistic understanding about their future role as medical professionals in influencing and helping people in spite of their perception of the general medical environment not as promising. To foster professionalism, the following are necessary in our experiences: 1) faculty development of medical humanities and medical professionalism, 2) establishment of an environment throughout the whole institution to support medical professionalism education and to integrate the concept into praxis, 3) emphasis on the fact that medical professionalism education is not contradictory to biophysical medical education.

The main purpose of this study is to examine the improvement and discourse of the medical education system in Korea since 1990. In particular, this study, focusing on the graduate medical education system initiated in 2002, has explored the discussions that led to the system's establishment and what the context of those discussions. To meet this objective, this study analyzed research report related to the medical education system authored by members of the government and medical community, suggestions to the government, discussion materials, and data with regard to the Medical (Dental) Education Eligibility Test. The improvement of the medical education system in Korea has been an important issue in education reform by the expansion of the number of years of higher education, the requirements for increased levels of professional knowledge by improving public educational standards, and the basic formation policy of higher education consisting of graduate school, special graduate school, and professional graduate school. Nevertheless, the views of the government and the medical community on improving medical education system have made an obvious difference. This was due to different aims about how to improve the medical education system and different perception of the degree and medical education system. The medical community at least tended to prefer the status of academic positions over professional positions. The policy of medical education for people with a bachelor's degree which was introduced in 2002 spread to many colleges of medicine based on the government's administrative and financial support policy. Even so, the absence of accompanying policy by the relevant government agencies and department of education, which could have ensured the success of the system, has led to continued debate. In conclusion, without a consistent and persistent government policy, the graduate medical education system has led to confusion in many medical institutions. Above all, an evidence-based policy decision and policy approach based on a long-term perspective are necessary in order to improve the medical education system.

Purpose: Precepted video review (PVR) has been considered one of the methods for the remediation of clinical performance examinations (CPX). This study quantified the effect of brief PVR on CPX scores. Methods: For two years, final-year students (61 students in the 1st year's cohort and 54 in the 2nd year's cohort) participated in CPXs. The scores on the initial CPX were announced to the students shortly after that CPX administration. There was no PVR after the initial CPX in the 1st year. All participants of the 2nd year were notified of the opportunity to voluntarily receive brief PVR after the initial CPX. Several months after the initial CPX, the students took the latter CPX in both years. The differences of scores between initial and latter CPX were compared in good performers and poor performers of the initial CPX. Results: Thirteen poor performers and 8 good performers received PVR in the 2nd year. In the 1st year, history taking (Hx), physical examination, and patient physician interaction (PPI) scores of the good performers of the initial CPX were significantly decreased on the latter CPX. In the 2nd year, the Hx and PPI scores of the good performers of the initial CPX, who received PVR, were significantly decreased at the latter CPX. The Hx and PPI scores of the poor performers of the initial CPX were significantly increased at the latter CPX in both years regardless of PVR. Conclusion: The changes in CPX scores according to PVR did not show any consistent trend. Brief PVR appears to be not sufficient for improving CPX scores.