• Korean Medical Education Review
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.16-20
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• 2016

Although the state of medicine in North Korea is of great interest, there is little information, if any, about the present state of medicine in North Korea. Even North Korea's laws and regulations on medicine are not publicly available. It is plausible that the dictator's commands or the policy of the Communist Party may be superior to the nation's constitution and laws on medical education and much more. Information is only available from a limited number of publications and mainly from the statements of refugees, which differ greatly among themselves. No one refugee could provide authoritative data or information because they were never in the position to see the larger picture or have experience over the long term. However, what is known is that the major health professions in North Korea include physicians (medical doctors), stomatologists (oral doctors), 'Koryo' doctors (doctors of Korean traditional medicine), midwives, and nurses. The names and the founding year of each of the regular medical schools are listed along with the change and restoration of names of schools. It is known that there have been quasi-physicians and semi-physicians. However, the reasons for any changes that have taken place also remain unknown. The educational system, curriculum, and even the number of years of training needed to qualify to become a physician have varied from time to time.

• Korean Medical Education Review
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.78-87
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• 2015

Mongolia is suffering from the inadequate capacity of medical doctors due to a poor education and training system. The purpose of this article is to evaluate the effect of a clinical training program for capacity building of medical doctors in Mongolia, and to suggest an effective model for continuing professional development in developing countries. Based on the results of a needs assessment, Korean and Mongolian medical experts developed a clinical training program and trained the trainers on 32 topics regarding major clinical problems in 6 specialties, including cardiology, endocrinology, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, neurology, and emergency medicine. Surveillance survey and pre/post-test were used on every topic to evaluate the satisfaction and achievement, respectively, of the trainees. Six months after the clinical training program, we interviewed a sample of medical professionals to evaluate the change and impact. A total of 612 (person-year) medical doctors participated in the training, and the average score for satisfaction was 7.69 out of 8. The average score of the pre-test was 46.9 out of 100, while the post-test was 82.4. After the training, the medical doctors were applying their new knowledge and skills to their practice, and using the materials as guidelines, which improved their practice and increased patient satisfaction. They also started their own training program and adopted new equipment at their hospitals. The satisfaction and achievement of the trainees were very high, and there was significant change in the medical practice, education system, and infrastructure after the training program. This training program can be an effective model for capacity building of medical doctors in developing countries.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.298-305
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• 2012

Objectives : This study was aimed to promote the cooperative system of Korean and Western medicine in the dual health care system through a survey of physicians on recognition, problems and solution of the cooperative system. Methods : The research took place at Dongguk University Hospital from May 25 to 27, 2009 with 44 professors, residents, and interns employed by the hospital. Results : Of total 44 surveyed doctors, positive and moderate responses on the cooperative system between Korean and Western medicines were 40.9% and 43.2%, respectively. They scored it positive (62.5%) and moderate (31.3%) based on their experiences. These results can be supposed to represent the environment for the interdisciplinary medicine. Even in the interdisciplinary hospital of Korean and Western medicine, 68.2% of responders had no experience of the cooperative medical system. Expected interdisciplinary efficient departments were ordered rehabilitation medicine, neurology and orthopedics and associated with musculoskeletal disorders, the most frequent diseases treated by Korean traditional medicine. Conclusions : Korean and Western medical doctors, as medical personnel, intellectual persons as well as specialists, need a recognition and attitude to understand and respect each others' medicine. However, both groups also realize there are many complicated issues in the treatment of patients. It is difficult to require a change of Western doctors' perceptions and attitude toward Korean traditional medicine only with results of a survey. For the efficient cooperative system in the medical field, Korean medical doctors will need to study and consider specific problems mentioned by Western medicine.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.115-130
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• 2011

Objective : This study aimed qualitative change of traditional korean medical public health programs (TKM-PHP) by the research of present condition, problems and improvement direction about TKM-PHP. Methods : Data were collected from 222 of 996 public health oriental medical doctors(PHOMD) using the structured questionnaire by e-mail. Collected data were analyzed through frequency analysis, T-test, and ANOVA using SPSS 12.0 and significant level was 0.05. Results : 59.5% of the respondents said that the TKM-PHP are not efficiently executed because there are not enough motivations to entice oriental medical doctors in charge of the programs and because PHOMD and the government officials in charge lack in relevant experiences and skills. A majority of the PHOMD recognize a need for activating the TKM-PHP but less actively participate in the programs since there is not a good rewarding system and there are neither standard manuals nor methodological guidelines for the programs. In order to activate the TKM-PHP, it is urgent to employ full-time oriental medical doctors and to continually and systematically appoint the professional manpower in charge. And it is also needed for the state to secure an adequate budget and prepare schemes for persistently train such professionals. Conclusion : Activating the TKM-PHP will lead to the development of TKM, but there are still such problems as lack of the professional manpower in charge, an excessive burden of the duties of PHOMD, lack of program manuals, and a poor system for evaluation. To solve these problems, it is advised to construct foundations for administerial supports, draw up a standard manual, prepare a system for evaluation in consideration of the characteristics of TKM, and hire professionals to ensure sustainable programs.

• Korean Medical Education Review
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.141-149
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• 2018

This study examined doctors' images represented in the Korean press to identify overall public perceptions of doctors and to suggest areas for improvement to enhance their image. All news reports published in the two major Korean daily newspapers between years 2011 and 2015 related to doctors and the practice of medicine were searched and collected. The news reports were categorized into the five competency domains in the Korean doctor's role (i.e., patient care, communication and cooperation, social accountability, professionalism, and education and research). Each news item was coded as being either positive or negative and was given a score regarding the extent to which positive or negative image that it represents of doctors using the Doctor Image Scale (DIS) score. A total of 314 news reports were collected, a majority of which were on patient care (36%), professionalism (33%), and social accountability (23%). Positive stories slightly outnumbered negative ones (56% vs. 44%). The largest number of positive news reports was in patient care (n=82); negative news reports most frequently appeared in professionalism (n=99) and patient care (n=32). The total DIS score was also positive (+28): the highest positive DIS score was in social accountability (+164); the highest negative DIS score was obtained in professionalism (-226). This study revealed overall positive portrayals of doctors in the Korean press, yet doctors need to better comply with regulations and ethical guidelines and enhance their medical knowledge and clinical skills and to improve their image.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.126-143
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• 1996

Background : Little work has been carried out regarding quality assessment research in a primary care setting, comparing with that of hospitals. This study aims to evaluate the process of diagnosis and management of hypertension by public health doctors on the basis of pre-established clinical guideline, and to identify several modifying factors associated with them. Methods : Hypertension was selected as the target disease, because it is a chronic disease which is of great public health importance. Self-administered questionnaires were mailed to public health doctors practicing at health centers and health subcenters across the nation. The response rate was 20.9%. The questionnaire included the diagnosis and management process such as measuring blood pressure, history taking, physical examinations, and treatment approches and potentially modifying factors such as level of training, duration of practice as a public health doctor, and education on management of hypertension. Results : Public health doctors pay little attention in measuring BP, hypertension related history taking, performing physical examination and laboratory examination. But they devoted much effort in diagnosing hypertension exactly and giving nonpharmacological treatment. Among various antihypertensive drugs, calcium-channel blockers were the most preferred agent(50.9%). Level of training, duration of practice ad a public health doctor, and education on management of hypertension made no difference on quality of care(p>0.05). Conclusion : These public health doctors showed poor compliance with the pre-established clinical guidelines, which leaves much to be desired in diagnosing and managing hypertensive patients by public health doctors. This study might be able to contribute to develop some strategies, such as educational programs, which would be able to improve the process of care in hypertensives.

• Korean Medical Education Review
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.47-50
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• 2016

Development of artificial intelligence is expected to revolutionize today's medicine. In fact, medicine was one of the areas to which advances in artificial intelligence technology were first applied. Recently, state-of-the-art artificial intelligence, especially deep learning technology, has been actively utilized to treat cancer patients and analyze medical image data. Application of artificial intelligence has the potential to fundamentally change various aspects of medicine, including the role of human doctors, the clinical decision-making process, and even overall healthcare systems. Facing such fundamental changes is unavoidable, and we need to prepare to effectively integrate artificial intelligence into our medical system. We should re-define the role of human doctors, and accordingly, medical education should also be altered. In this article, we will discuss the current status of artificial intelligence in medicine and how we can prepare for such changes.

• Korean Medical Education Review
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.54-58
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• 2013

There has been an increase in the number of female doctors worldwide. Women now represent half of all medical students, with almost the same numbers of men and women becoming physicians. There is a pool of talented women in our midst, and it is our responsibility as leaders to find those individuals and groom them for progress. However, residency training and academic education still resemble the historical model when there were few women in medicine. Gender differences in medical specialty choices can cause a maldistribution of doctors by specialty and geographical area, which could cause significant problems at the national health care system level. Major challenges facing female physicians include gender discrimination and sexual harassment, and work/family conflicts. Women are largely under-represented in academic medicine and experience discrimination in the academic environments. Recent issues about related to the "feminization of medicine" raise important questions forabout how academic medicine deals with gender issues. To better accommodate the needs of female doctors and ensure that they will have successful careers, structural and cultural changes to medical educations are needed.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.1749-1762
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• 2006

Medical disputes are increasing year by year in korean medical institutions as the frequency of patient's visiting korean medical institutions goes high and the reliability relations between korean medical doctors and patients are getting worse than the past. Frequently occurring accidents in korean medical acts fall into some categories such as medical treatment of acupuncture${\cdot}$moxibustion${\cdot}$cupping, korean herbal medication, korean medical physical therapy, wrong diagnosis. Frequently occurring accidents include these cases. Infection due to improper treatment process of acupunctrue or wet-cupping ; skin-burns caused by moxibustion, infrared therapy or haet therapy ;toxic hepatitis or kidney dysfunction induced by herbal medication ; progression of disease or missing of opportunity of timely transfer because of wrong diagnosis. It will prevent medical accidents to a great extent for korean medical doctors to have scientific diagnostic techniques and lab. test results at hand in korean medical institutions.

• The Journal of Korean Medical History
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.47-52
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• 2008

The Chosun dynasty woman doctors served important roles as professional doctors. Most of these woman doctors are believed to have been either assistants to their male counterparts or specialists for certain limited fields such as gynecology. Despite such circumstances, some woman doctors such as 장덕 or 귀금 were even mentioned in the 조선왕조실록 for their outstanding abilities. In such cases where a doctor was recognized for their skills, they were entitled to higher social status and/or financial benefits.