Driving Advancement in Bio and Medical Education, Consensus Formed on Establishing a 'Research-Centered Medical School'

'Physician-Scientist Training Minister of Education Meeting' Held, POSTECH Research-Centered Medical School

Pohang, Gyeongbuk Province, and POSTECH Emphasize Pohang's Strength as a 'Prepared Physician-Scientist Training City'

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Dongguk Lee] On the 3rd, Pohang City held the ‘Ministerial Meeting on Training Physician-Scientists’ in the main conference room of POSTECH’s main building, together with the Ministry of Education, Gyeongbuk Province, and POSTECH, forming a consensus on the establishment of a ‘POSTECH Research-Centered Medical School.’

On the 3rd, Pohang City held the 'Ministerial Meeting on Training Physician-Scientists' in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Gyeongbuk Province, and POSTECH at the main conference room of the POSTECH main building.

The meeting was attended by Lee Ju-ho, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education; Lee Kang-deok, Mayor; Kim Hak-hong, Vice Governor of Gyeongbuk Province; Congressman Kim Byung-wook; Kim Moo-hwan, President of POSTECH; as well as about 30 key officials including Lee Yun-hong, Director of Talent Policy Planning at the Ministry of Education, and Jeong Sang-eun, Head of Talent Development Support Division, who engaged in in-depth discussions on training physician-scientists in South Korea.

A physician-scientist refers to a researcher who holds both a medical license (M.D.) and a doctoral degree (PhD), serving as a clinical physician treating patients while simultaneously conducting basic research in medical and engineering fields, acting as a bridge between medicine and engineering.

The attendees mentioned the remarkable development of various innovative industries and social changes revealed by the COVID-19 pandemic, agreeing on the urgent need to train physician-scientists through innovative bioindustry technologies and new forms of medical education systems to proactively respond to severe diseases such as genetic disorders and cancer, which are widely experienced in increasingly complex societies, as well as rapidly spreading new infectious diseases.

They also emphasized that establishing and supporting an innovative medical education model is an urgent national task to secure core competitiveness in the rapidly growing global biohealth industry.

Kim Moo-hwan, President of POSTECH, stated in a briefing, “POSTECH possesses excellent research capabilities and infrastructure, and we will quickly realize an innovative medical education model based on engineering and science so that physician-scientists from POSTECH’s research-centered medical school can lead South Korea’s biohealth industry onto the global stage.”

Mayor Lee Kang-deok emphasized, “Pohang City is a prepared city for training physician-scientists, equipped with three major conditions: ‘solid bio infrastructure,’ ‘strong ties with the local medical community,’ and the era’s challenge of ‘solving the national balanced development issue,’ making it the optimal location for establishing a research-centered medical school.” He added, “Pohang City will spare no administrative support to establish a research-centered medical school together with POSTECH.”

Mayor Lee Gang-deok of Pohang is emphasizing at the meeting that Pohang is the optimal location for establishing a research-oriented medical school.

In response, Minister of Education Lee Ju-ho said, “I am well aware that Pohang City and POSTECH have continuously strived and achieved results for nurturing talents in advanced fields leading the future, as well as regional innovation and development,” adding, “The Ministry of Education will continue communication and support so that this can grow as a model for South Korea’s talent development strategy.”

This Ministerial Meeting of the Ministry of Education is the second regional visit by government ministries following the visit by the Minister of Health and Welfare in November last year. It is significant in that all related ministries with final authority over the expansion of medical school quotas and approval of medical school establishment have formed a consensus on the ‘POSTECH Research-Centered Medical School.’

The ‘POSTECH Research-Centered Medical School’ plans to operate the world’s first engineering-based Illinois medical school curriculum in the form of a medical science graduate school with an 8-year combined MD-PhD degree program (2+4+2). It is being promoted as a key project of Pohang City alongside the construction of a smart hospital (500 beds) and a medical science convergence research center.