We are now in the twenty-first century that ushers us into the new world of scientific, informatic and medical achievements. Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine has just celebrated its fifth birthday. Built from scratch, this obviously young School of Medicine is doing things no other medical schools in Korea have ever done; creating a new educational system tailored for the students rather than teachers, establishing the research center even before the opening of the medical school, and recruiting the best scholars in basic medical sciences and clinical fields from overseas and Korea. And the best in-coming students knocking the door of Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine is proof that our efforts are appreciated. Our task is to prepare young men and women studying medicine to meet their professional obligations in a context of the ever-changing scientific, technological, economic, social and ethical conditions.
We have 4 teaching university hospitals with more than 400 competent medical staffs, the new medical school equipped with high tech facilities, and the Samsung Biomedical Research Institute to support our educational system and research works. A new teaching and learning system called "Problem Based Learning"was adopted from the beginning. This system emphasizes self-learning and small group discussions to provide students with problem-solving abilities and positive learning experience suitable for the 21st century. Our students are expected to be medical scientists as well as competent medical doctors who can develop a commitment to the profession and nurture the right attitude toward patient centered medical care. Samsung Medical Center- teaching university hospitals is already the world's best in some clinical fields and research acitivities. All these research and practice are connected to each other and to the world through the wonderful technology of informatics. Please come with me now for a tour through Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine and I invite you to this field of dreams, where one can devote oneself to the active promotion of public health and medical practice, joining creative research works and higher minds for the helping of others.

Welcome to Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine.

Eoh Whan, M.D, Ph.D.
Dean