Wonkwang University College of Medicine, Medical Education Evaluation Institute Midterm Evaluation Not Certified

KIMEE to Conduct Re-evaluation Through This Year's Regular Assessment
If Accreditation Is Denied Again, Next Year's Freshmen Cannot Take National Licensing Exam

Wonkwang University College of Medicine in Iksan, Jeonbuk, failed the interim evaluation conducted by the Korean Institute of Medical Education and Evaluation (KIMEE). If it fails to obtain accreditation again in this year's re-evaluation, new students entering next year will not be able to become doctors even after graduating from the medical school.

According to the '2024 Medical Education Accreditation Regular and Interim Evaluation Results' announced by KIMEE on the 14th, the accreditation status of Wonkwang University College of Medicine, one of the 15 medical schools and medical professional graduate schools subject to the interim evaluation, has changed.

The other 14 medical schools and medical professional graduate schools that were subject to the interim evaluation last year, including Kangwon National University, Konkuk University, Gyeongsang National University, Korea University, Dong-A University, Wonkwang University, Eulji University, Ewha Womans University, Inje University, Inha University, Chonnam National University, Chonbuk National University, Chung-Ang University, CHA University, and Hallym University, received decisions to 'maintain accreditation.'

This evaluation is a regular assessment conducted separately from the major change evaluations related to the government's increase in medical school quotas. According to internal regulations, KIMEE conducts an interim evaluation every two years for universities maintaining accreditation.

The evaluation results are divided into accreditation and non-accreditation. A non-accreditation judgment can be deferred for one year. According to the Medical Service Act, if a medical school is not accredited at the time of admission, graduates are not allowed to take the national medical licensing examination.

KIMEE plans to conduct a re-evaluation of Wonkwang University College of Medicine through this year's regular evaluation. The deferral period for the change in accreditation status is from March 1 this year to February 28 next year.

Medical schools subject to the regular evaluation must submit an application to KIMEE at the beginning of the year and then form an evaluation committee consisting of medical school professors and administrative staff. They must investigate the actual conditions and plans regarding university management systems, basic medical education curriculum, students, faculty, facilities and equipment, and postgraduate education, and prepare an accreditation evaluation report. This includes verifying not only classrooms and laboratories used for student education but also convenience facilities such as student cafeterias and lounges. Information on tuition fees, faculty salaries, and plans for expanding teaching hospitals is also required.

After submitting the self-evaluation research report and student report to KIMEE by the end of July, an on-site evaluation team within KIMEE reviews these documents in writing and then visits the university in the fall for further verification. The evaluation team prepares a final evaluation report based on the submitted reports and on-site assessments, which forms the basis for a judgment committee meeting held around the end of the year. The judgment committee, composed of up to 15 members including the head of the accreditation division and chairpersons of various expert committees within KIMEE, reviews the evaluation results, listens to opinions, and ultimately decides on the accreditation status, non-accreditation status, and accreditation period for the respective university.

Meanwhile, Wonkwang University expanded its medical school quota from the previous 93 students to 150 last year due to the government's increase in medical school admissions. If students on leave return to school, it is expected that 240 students will be attending classes simultaneously this year.