• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.239-247
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• 2003

Objectives : The objectives of this study were to examine the difference in attitude toward health-specific locus-of-control and medical care among western medical students, oriental Medical students, and non-medical school students. Methods : The subjects of this study were 667 students who agreed to respond the questionnaire :212 western medical school students, 190 oriental medical school students, and 205 non-medical school students. The health-specific locus of control was measured by the structured questionnaire developed by Lau and Ware. The attitude toward western and oriental medicine was also measured by the questionnaire. Results : Western medical students and non-medical school students were more likely than oriental medical students to place high value on 'the provider control over health' and 'the general threat to health' scales (F=20.47, F=19.98). But oriental medical school students ranked 'the self control of health' scale as more important than any other locus of control scale (F=19.34). The health specific locus of control was also different from the grade. When trte grade was increased, 'the provider control over health' scale was slowly decreased, especially in western medical students and non medical school students. However, the 'general threat to health' scale was increased in oriental medical students. Western medical school students expressed more positive attitude toward western medicine. Oriental medical school students put a higher score on oriental medicine. Nevertheless, as the grade was increased, the positive attitude toward oriental medicine slightly decreased in oriental medical school students. Conclusions : There is a difference in health-specific locus of control and attitude toward medicine among western medical students, oriental medical students, and non-medical students. The locus of control and attitude of medical students towards medicine may affect both how they behave towards patients and how they help shape future public policy. Therefore, interdisciplinary educational initiatives may be the best way to handle this issue.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.9
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• pp.4245-4248
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• 2012

Background: Women make up half of the world's population, and comprise 20% of the world's one billion smokers. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of smoking among female medical students in comparison to female non-medical students, and to assess the importance of medical education and knowledge in decreasing the prevalence of smoking among female university students in Saudi Arabia. Method: We used a self-administered questionnaire to collect cross-sectional data from a randomly selected sample of 320 female students attending King Abdul-Aziz University, Jeddah. Medical students comprised 50% of the sample. Results: A total of 310 students (96.9%) completed and returned the questionnaire. The prevalence of smoking was higher in non-medical female students (4.2%) compared to medical female students (0.32%) (P < 0.001). Conclusion: The prevalence of smoking is low among female medical students compared to female non-medical students, presumably because of their awareness, level of education, and knowledge of the risks to health associated with smoking. Our study highlights the need for increased knowledge, health education, and awareness of the risks of smoking to reduce smoking among female university students.

• Korean Medical Education Review
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.64-68
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• 2012

Learning in medical school is usually regarded as a very specialized type of learning compared to that of other academic disciplines. Medical students might have general beliefs about their own learning. Beliefs about learning have a critical effect on learning behavior. There are several factors that affect medical students' learning behavior: epistemological beliefs, learning styles, learning strategies, and learning beliefs. Several studies have addressed epistemological beliefs, learning styles, and learning strategies in medical education. There are, however, few studies that have reported on medical students' beliefs about learning. The purpose of this study was to determine what learning beliefs medical students have, what the causes of these beliefs are, and how medical educators teach students who have such beliefs. In this study, the five learning beliefs are assumed and we considered how these beliefs can affect students' learning behaviors. They include: 1) medical students are expected to learn a large amount of information in a short time. 2) memorization is more important than understanding to survive in medical schools. 3) learning is a competition and work is independent, rather than collaborative. 4) reading textbooks is a heavy burden in medical education. 5) the most effective teaching and learning method is the lecture. These learning beliefs might be the results of various hidden curricula, shared experiences of the former and the present students as a group, and personal experience. Some learning beliefs may negatively affect students' learning. In conclusion, the implications of medical students' learning beliefs are significant and indicate that students and educators can benefit from opportunities that make students' beliefs about learning more conscious.

• Korean Medical Education Review
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.108-117
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• 2021

This study investigated medical students' perceptions of good jobs. We classified medical students' perceptions of good jobs and analyzed the characteristics of each type. The Q methodology was used to extract medical students' subjective thoughts. After extracting statements based on previous studies, 46 Q samples were selected. The P sample consisted of 40 medical students divided evenly by gender and grade. They performed a Q sort of the 46 Q sample questionnaire and the results were analyzed using the QUANL ver. 1.2 program. Very few consensus statements were found in the replies. We divided answers into four types, each of which was clearly distinguished: (1) quality of life-oriented jobs, (2) reward-oriented jobs, (3) service-oriented jobs, and (4) self-realization-oriented jobs. Medical students in type 1 prioritized quality of life equally at work and at home. Medical students in type 2 preferred high-paying jobs. Medical students in type 3 placed importance on serving others. Finally, medical students in type 4 viewed good jobs as involving learning and development. The types of jobs sought were classified according to individual students' values and subjectivity. Medical schools may use the results of this study as a basis for career guidance.

• Korean Medical Education Review
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.69-77
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• 2015

Including the research in the medical curriculum is regarded as an important issue for medical education. Research experience at medical school has a positive impact on students and it motivates them to undertake further research in the future. The purpose of this study is to explore the factors to activate the research of medical school students. We investigated students' perception of the research curriculum in medical school. The survey for this study was conducted among 41 targeted medical school students from across the Republic of Korea. A total of 370 students from 26 medical schools responded. Benefits through research activities were to study about the areas of interest, as researchers had the opportunity to interact with professors and career. Students, furthermore, had difficulties in research due to data collection, the lack of research space and research funding. Requirements to activate the research were the time to participate in research activities, opening regular research courses, preparation of practical research program and motivation for such research. The medical school would need to improve the medical curriculum through the analysis of the environment and situation the school is facing based upon the in-depth analysis results of what the medical school is pursuing through the research activities, what the students want, what the potential difficulties are, and what the requirements are to improve the research curriculum.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.177-187
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• 2017

Objectives: Medical students represent a primary target for tobacco cessation training. This study assessed the prevalence of medical students' tobacco use, attitudes, clinical skills, and tobacco-related curricula in two countries, the US and Italy, with known baseline disparities in hopes of identifying potential corrective interventions. Methods: From September to December 2013, medical students enrolled at the University of Bologna and at Brown University were recruited via email to answer survey questions assessing the prevalence of medical students' tobacco use, attitudes and clinical skills related to patients' smoking, and elements of medical school curricula related to tobacco use. Results: Of the 449 medical students enrolled at Brown and the 1426 enrolled at Bologna, 174 Brown students (38.7%) and 527 Bologna students (36.9%) participated in this study. Italian students were more likely to smoke (29.5% vs. 6.1%; p<0.001) and less likely to receive smoking cessation training (9.4% vs. 80.3%; p<0.001) than their American counterparts, even though the majority of students in both countries desired smoking cessation training (98.6% at Brown, 85.4% at Bologna; p<0.001). Additionally, negative beliefs regarding tobacco usage, the absence of formal training in smoking cessation counseling, and a negative interest in receiving specific training on smoking cessation were associated with a higher risk of not investigating a patient's smoking status during a routine history and not offering tobacco cessation treatment to patients. Conclusions: Medical curricula on tobacco-related health hazards and on smoking cessation should be mandatory in order to reduce smoking among medical students, physicians, and patients, thereby improving tobacco-related global health.

• Korean Medical Education Review
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.45-52
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• 2008

Purpose & Method : To describe medical students' need on the mentoring program and relationship with career choice, 186/251 (74.1%) of first-and second-year medical students at Yonsei University College of Medicine. Seoul. Korea were surveyed. Result : 66.1% of medical students replied that he/she would volunteer as a mentee in mentoring program. Medical students' need area in mentoring program was specialty choice (62.9%). research development(18.8%), adapting to school life (13.9%) and effective learning skill (2.7%). 47.2% of medical students replied that his/her wishful career and working place is university faculty. Medical students who replied that he/she would volunteer as a mentee showed more needs on the research mentoring program(P=0.0112) and faculty career(P=0.0185) than those who replied that he/she would not volunteer as a mentee. Conclusion For successful implementation of mentoring program. this analysis on medical students' need should be considered.

• Korean Medical Education Review
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.55-69
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• 2024

Amid the increasing interest in medical humanities education, this study developed a medical humanities course that utilized design thinking to foster creative thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration skills that pre-medical students should possess. The course's efficacy was assessed by evaluating improvements in core design thinking skills. The present study was conducted among 83 first-year medical students after planning and implementing a design thinking course. The reflection journals written by students along the course of the class were examined using the template analysis technique to evaluate the effectiveness of the class. The study's primary findings showed the successful development of step-by-step medical humanities education content utilizing design thinking and its practical implementation in a class. Moreover, the course improved students' core design thinking skills effectively, and in a balanced way. These results illustrate the effective application of design thinking in medical school through a medical humanities course. These findings indicate that a medical humanities course can help medical students showcase their abilities to collaborate and solve problems in the real world. This paper suggests the need for further research to develop a curriculum that integrates design thinking and investigate the relationship between medical students' core competencies and design thinking-based courses.

• Korean Medical Education Review
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.174-179
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to examine the factors that influence school life satisfaction based on personal variables, self-esteem, interpersonal relationships, and perception of the educational environment at a medical school in Korea. The data were collected from 228 medical students who agreed to participate in the study at a medical school. The Dundee Ready Medical Environment Measure (DREEM) and the self-esteem scale by Rosenberg were used. Questions measuring satisfaction of medical school life and interpersonal relationships (with professors, with senior/junior students, and with friends) were asked using a 5 point Likert scale. The data were analyzed by t-test, analysis of variance, and multiple regression analysis. The satisfaction of medical school life of male students was significantly higher than female students and increased with years of schooling. In DREEM, the students' perception of teachers decreased by school years. The relationship with senior and junior students of third year students was higher than other school years. The result of the regression analysis to determine the variables that affect satisfaction of medical school life showed that interpersonal relationships with senior and junior students, the students' social self-perception, and the students' perception of learning were significant. The results of this study will help medical schools in their plans to improve the level of satisfaction for the happiness and successful academic achievements of their students.

• Korean Medical Education Review
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.41-48
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• 2007

Yonsei University College of Medicine is about to adopt a new admission system in 2009 for postgraduate medical school. in which 4-year college graduates apply to it, instead of applying of high school graduates to undergraduate medical school. For preparing the new system, now, an admission policy is being intensively investigated. In the present admission system in Yonsei College of Medicine, college or university graduates with diverse majors such as pharmacy, biochemistry, engineering, social science and so on other than a medical major can be transferred into the undergraduate medical course when vacancy for enrollment is available. This study was performed to analyze the academic achievement of the transferred students for establishing a new admission system. In this study, the GPAs of 94 medical students transferred for 1998 to 2006 years were analyzed regarding academic and personal background, and compared with those of untrans- ferred medical students. The results showed some features. Particularly, the GPAs of transferred students with t he majors of art and social sciences were not lower than those with the major of natural sciences while transferred students with majors of pharmacy. veterinary science, nursing science, and biotechnology had their high academic achievements during the undergraduate medical courses.