Medical education begins not just with training, but with the aim of turning out doctors who society truly needs.
However, the current state of medical education is faltering right from the start. Not only have classes, clinical training, and overall academic operations been severely disrupted by the prolonged government-doctor conflict, but the spread of AI has also forced a complete overhaul of assessment and learning standards.
This is why we should pay close attention to “The 30-Year History of the Department of Medical Education at Yonsei University College of Medicine,” recently published by Yonsei University College of Medicine. As the medical landscape rapidly changes, medical schools are once again faced with the question of “what kind of doctors should we train?” and this book documents 30 years of answers to that question.
Yonsei University College of Medicine, which established Korea’s first Department of Medical Education, has published a book summarizing its 30-year history. “The 30-Year History of the Department of Medical Education at Yonsei University College of Medicine” is a record containing 30 years of answers to the question, “What kind of doctors should we train?” (KBR photo)
Professor An Shin-ki (Internal Medicine) of the Department of Medical Education at Yonsei University College of Medicine told Korea Biomedical Review in an interview that the starting point is the question, “What makes a good doctor?” He explained that, beyond providing a stable career, since society has granted doctors exclusive authority, medical education must cultivate professionals who possess the corresponding sense of responsibility. He expressed his hope that this 30-year history would provide food for thought for other schools as well.
The legacy of Yonsei University College of Medicine in medical education is clear.
The college recognized early on the need for institution-wide, systematic medical education tailored to Korea, rather than relying on individual professors. This led to the establishment of the nation’s first Department of Medical Education in 1996, with the recognition that medical education requires specialized research and design.
There was resistance to creating a Department of Medical Education, especially in prestigious universities: “Why change what already works?” At Yonsei University College of Medicine, meaningful change occurred when external assessments and internal awareness aligned, leading to institutionalization.
Three curricular reforms reshaped the framework of medical education
Building on this momentum, Yonsei University College of Medicine has significantly revised its curriculum three times since the 2000s. This was known as the “Curriculum Development Project (CDP).” CDP 2004 sought to shift from subject-centered education to integrated, institution- and disease-centered education. This change enabled a more holistic approach by connecting previously separate subjects such as anatomy, physiology, and pathology, helping students connect basic knowledge directly to patient care scenarios. The reform moved educational leadership from individual departments to a college-wide approach, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and relevance.
CDP 2013 focused on assessment innovation. Yonsei University College of Medicine introduced absolute grading in place of relative grading, shifting from a ranking system to one that assesses whether students have achieved the required competencies. Professor An noted that this process was not easy. There was significant concern among the faculty. Concerns remain that academic rigor may decline following the adoption of absolute grading. However, he said a consensus had been reached on the overarching goal of freeing students from unnecessary competition and encouraging them to explore diverse paths.
The most recent change, CDP 2023, revised the existing “two years of basic science and two years of clinical training” model. The curriculum was restructured into three stages, integrating and condensing basic and clinical education, and allocating additional time for student research and career development. The introduction of a dedicated “research semester” meant that all students now engage in research as an essential part of their training, aiming to ensure that research skills are developed by every future doctor, not just a select few.
In an interview with Korea Biomedical Review, Professor Ahn Shin-ki, head of the Department of Medical Education at Yonsei University College of Medicine, said that the department’s 30-year journey has been a path taken to answer the question, “What makes a good doctor?” (KBR photo)
The conflict between doctors and the government shook the foundations of education
Just as this reorganization was set to fully launch, the conflict between doctors and the government erupted, disrupting progress. Collective leave and return, compressed academic schedules, and changes to the National Medical Licensing Examination schedule meant that the university had to revise a substantial part of the planned program.
Professor An called this situation a major loss for the physicians. Even so, he stressed that Yonsei University College of Medicine has always adhered to one principle: it cannot compromise the quality of the education it has promised to society, especially the essential knowledge required of future physicians.
An also voiced concerns about the long-lasting scars this conflict could leave. Most notably, he fears that trust among students, professors, and residents has been seriously damaged. Medical education involves more than knowledge transfer; it is also about shaping professional identity through relationships—a process now in jeopardy.
“We must continually create forums to discuss problems together,” Professor An said. “If we avoid dialogue out of fear that it might make matters worse, recovery will inevitably be slow.”
Yonsei prepares for the AI era
The core of the next change Yonsei University College of Medicine is preparing for is AI. Amid growing confusion in education -- such as recent controversies over AI-assisted exam cheating at some universities -- Yonsei University College of Medicine views AI as an inevitable change.
Professor An stated that the future of medicine is already shifting from standard treatments for the average patient toward personalized prediction and prevention. With advancements in protein structure prediction, precision medicine, and the accelerating use of multimodal data, he believes that by the time current students graduate, the healthcare environment will have changed significantly.
According to Professor An, “Aside from the shift from blackboards 100 years ago to projectors today, the way professors teach has not fundamentally changed.” This realization highlights how, despite structural and evaluative reforms, teaching methods still lag behind. Ultimately, change must start with the professors themselves. If they do not adapt to the changing environment and pursue ongoing professional development as educators, efforts to innovate medical education in the AI era will be incomplete.
Yonsei University College of Medicine has not waited to act. Within the Yonsei Donggok Medical Education Institute, an AI task force is now exploring how best to apply AI skills and develop assessment methods tailored to students. The school’s approach prioritizes equipping students to use AI thoughtfully and effectively, moving beyond mere monitoring of AI usage.
Assessment innovation follows this same principle. Professor An observed that current assessments rely excessively on “snapshots” -- test scores at single points in time. Yet, performance as a doctor depends on much more than that. Qualities such as professionalism, reflection, attitude, and self-directed learning during student years may predict future success better than grades alone. As a result, Yonsei University College of Medicine is expanding portfolio-based assessment and integrating AI-driven real-time feedback.
Ultimately, these changes converge toward cultivating “doctors who can make better decisions together with patients” rather than “doctors who simply know more.”
Song Soo-youn
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