Medical Students’ competencies depend on the medical school curriculum. Basic medical education, in particular, is
an important starting point for further medical competency development.
We aimed to identify the most important areas of reform in the basic medical education curriculum of Yonsei Medical
School.
To accomplish this, we sought case studies of different medical schools and discussion points for quality improvement
methods. A qualitative comparison method saturated through the systematic discussions on the emerging thematic
approaches to determine the current directions in medical school curriculum reform. The discussions, which involved 7
experts, spanned 8 months and were based on a literature review, with focus on the 7 selected case studies.
From the discussions, we concluded that in order to improve basic medical education curriculum, the following measures
need to be carried out.
First, an outcome-based curriculum is to be designed. The expected outcome is to be deliberately and succinctly
defined and should be expressed as teaching and learning objectives. Second, the core subjects and elective subjects
are to be classified on the basis of the aim, content, and passage level of the subjects. Hence, the core curriculum must
be treated as a standard part of medical knowledge, and the elective curriculum must be richer and more in-depth. Third,
universities should institutionalize regular evaluation of their departments. Appropriate and just evaluations should be
made, and feedback given to the school’s administrative department. Fourth, the departmental and administrative management
of the basic medical education curriculum should be harmonized with each other. Finally, teaching and learning
resources are to be increased and diversified and made available to professors and students for basic medical educationope