'Catch the Golden Time' ... Accelerating the Establishment of a Research-Oriented Medical School at POSTECH

Expansion of Medical School Quotas and Establishment Approval, Development of Concrete Implementation Strategies and Detailed Plans

Pohang Bio Cluster ... A Timely Challenge, Promotion of National Balanced Development

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Dongguk Lee] Pohang City, which is promoting the establishment of a medical school aimed at training physician-scientists, accelerated the establishment of a research-oriented medical school by holding the ‘POSTECH Research-Oriented Medical School Implementation Strategy Establishment Service Final Report Meeting’ on the 10th, attended by key institutional officials from Gyeongbuk Province, POSTECH, and others.

At the report meeting held at POSTECH on this day, the service agency Korea Management Association Consulting presented the final research results on ▲POSTECH’s capability analysis as an institution for training physician-scientists ▲plans for establishing POSTECH Medical School ▲plans for establishing a university hospital for training physician-scientists ▲expected effects of establishing the medical school and university hospital.

On the 10th, Pohang City held the 'Final Report Meeting on the Establishment of the Execution Strategy for the POSTECH Research-Oriented Medical School Project' with key officials from Gyeongbuk Province, POSTECH, and other major institutions in attendance.

In the briefing, a concrete establishment plan was presented to operate an MD-PhD dual degree program (8 years) at the Graduate School of Medicine (capacity 50 students) based on POSTECH’s competitiveness to nurture physician-scientists who can connect digital science technology with bio and medical technology, and to promote a smart hospital as a 500-bed university-affiliated hospital through private investment.

Participants positively evaluated recent favorable government trends such as the resumption of the medical issue consultative body between the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korean Medical Association and the meeting with the Minister of Education on training physician-scientists, but they put their heads together to prepare more concrete implementation strategies to secure public and medical community support without missing the golden time for expanding medical school quotas and approving research-oriented medical schools, which is gradually approaching.

Kim Muhwan, President of POSTECH, who presided over the final report meeting, said, “Although Korea is still only a challenger in the astronomical-scale global bio-health market, I am confident that if POSTECH’s research capabilities and infrastructure, the active interest and support of the local community, and systematic promotion strategies for establishing a research-oriented medical school are combined, it will contribute to Korea’s growth as a global leader in the bio-health market through training physician-scientists based on engineering and science.”

Kwon Hyukwon, Director of the Job and Economy Bureau, said, “With concrete plans prepared through the implementation strategy establishment service, the establishment of the ‘POSTECH Research-Oriented Medical School and Smart Hospital’ has taken a step forward,” and added, “We will steadily promote the construction of the Pohang Bio Cluster as a prepared city for training physician-scientists and create a model case for national balanced development.”

Since April 2018, Pohang City has made great efforts to establish the POSTECH research-oriented medical school and smart hospital, starting with the ‘Medical School Establishment Pan-Citizen Promotion Committee Meeting,’ conducting research services, visiting U.S. bio clusters and engineering-based medical schools, proposing policies to the National Assembly and government, and signing joint promotion agreements with local hospitals to build a world-class bio cluster.