Abstract
The purpose of this study is to analyze the medical education system of Korea and to propose a method of curriculum redesign. Although there have been many attempts by medical educators to improve the quality of medical education, the results have not been fruitful. First, there exists a limitation to the dualistic curriculum design based on Flexnerianism, and thus, this model does not provide an integrated experience to medical students. Therefore, we propose a unidimensional model for curriculum redesign. Second, it is impossible to promote excellence in medical education without solving the structural problems of teaching and learning, such as the teaching competency of the faculty, large-scale lectures, and team teaching systems. A curricular strategy that emphasizes mutual interaction and teaching accountability is necessary to promote meaningful learning. Third, the current clinical training system, the circulation model, provides incomplete training as well as a lack of sequence and articulation experiences. This system needs to be redesigned in a way that allows only those students who have mastered both the knowledge and the application of medical education to advance to the next step. Fourth, norm-referenced assessments of a medical college distort the learning process and create unconstructive system energy. A criterion-referenced assessment that values cooperation, independent study, and intrinsic motivation is more important for the reliability and validity of the assessment. Medical students should not focus on formative and informative learning. Medical colleges should investigate the multifaceted potential of the students and provide transformative learning to grow students into change agents. For this to take place, curriculum redesign-not new methods of medical education-is required.