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<Third and Fourth Year : Problem-Based Learning Program>

The curriculum at the third and fourth year is approached with the problem-based learning(PBL) method in reliance of the students’ independent and self-directed learning.
Students work in groups of six or seven with a faculty tutor. Each group is allocated a PBL room containing a table, bookshelves, lockers, writing boards, view boxes, and computer facilities etc. The computer facilities are connected to the Internet and the SKKUSOM web pages, which contain images relating to particular health care problems.
The health care problems(HCPs) are descriptions of real professional/patient situations presented to students as the vehicle for learning during a PBL process. Each student group meets twice a week for three hours. On the first tutorial of each HCP, students examine and discuss a HCP and identify learning issues or learning needs. Then they return to their studies and search for information regarding learning issues individually and in a self-directed manner. On the second tutorial, students report their study results and reformulate the HCP.
Through a sequence of presented HCPs, students address both basic and clinical sciences and identify the direct relevance of basic science learning outcomes on clinical problems. In addition, the Patient and Doctor course serves as a clinical application session which is scheduled and closely integrated with a sequence of HCPs, thereby helping students develop clinical skills relevant to the HCPs.
The two-year PBL program is composed of eight curricular units. The substructure of each Unit is made by selecting and organizing HCPs based on the objectives of the overall unit by each Unit Committee.
The curriculum is further controlled by the PBL Program Committee which consists of the Chair, the eight PBL Unit or System Chairs, Year Coordinators of M3 and M4, as well as the Chairs of Planning and Development, Learning Resources, Assessment and Faculty Development of the Office of Medical Education.

<Third Year>
PBL Unit / Required Courses Lectures
(hours)
labs
(hrs)
Small
Grp(hrs)
Tutorial
(wks)
Credits
Unit 1. Basic Clinical Medicine
Unit 2. Infection
        Hemato - Oncology
Unit 3. Respiratory System
        Cardiology
Unit 4. Nephrology
        Rheumatology
        Allergy
Patient and Doctor I
Patient and Doctor II
Society and Doctor I
Society and Doctor II
90
16
32
32
40
32
20
10
16
16
24
24
36
8
8
16
20
16
8
4
 
 
8
8
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
32
32
8
8
12
2
4
4
5
4
2
1
 
 
 
 
12
2
4
5
5
5
2
1
2
2
2
2
Total 352 132 80 34 44

<Fourth Year>
PBL Unit / Required Course Lectures
(hours)
labs
(hrs)
Small
Grp(hrs)
Tutorial
(wks)
Credits
Unit 5. Gastroenterology
        Endocrinology
Unit 6. Eye, ENT
        Neurology
        Psychiatry
Unit 7. Musculoskeletal
Unit 8. Life Cycle
Patient and Doctor III
Patient and Doctor IV
Society and Doctor III
Society and Doctor IV
Advanced Biomedical Sciences
40
32
20
24
32
32
72
16
16
24
24
 
20
16
 
 
 
8
12
 
 
 
 
(4wks)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
32
32
8
8
 
5
4
2
3
4
4
9
 
 
 
 
 
5
4
2
3
4
5
9
2
2
2
2
4
Total 332 56 80 35 44

Unit 1. Basic Clinical Medicine is the beginning of the subsequent two-year PBL program. Throughout this unit, students are required to feel confident of PBL for their successful study of medicine while enthusiastically establishing a habit of being self-directed learners. Students are encouraged to acquire basic skills of critical appraisal, clinical reasoning ability and learning skills with reference to being thorough and accurate in perception and interpretation. Various clinical data is particularly emphasized when studying HCPs.

Unit 2-7. Organ System-Based Units

Unit 8. Life Cycle: This course is organized around such major themes as reproduction, child and adolescent health, geriatric health and genetic problems. Students have the opportunity to review an individual throughout his/her whole life in contrast with the foregoing units based on the organ systems of the body.

Patient and Doctor I, II, III, IV: This four semester longitudinal course is designed for students to acquire appropriate attitudes and skills related to patient/doctor interactions.

Society and Doctor I, II, III, IV: This course comprises a broad spectrum of aspects in medical practice related to the society. These include fields of preventive medicine, epidemiology, biostatistics, organization and delivery of health care services in addition to the development of health care policy.