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North Korean refugee doctors' preliminary examination scores
Sung Uk Chae1, Jeong Hee Yang1, Joon Seop Hyun1
1Department of Family Medicine, Kangwon National University Hospital, Chuncheon, Korea.
Korean Journal of Medical Education
|December 3, 2016
Summary
North Korean doctors showed improved scores on a preliminary medical licensing exam after re-education. Key areas for further training include diagnostic techniques, therapeutics, and preventive medicine to enhance readiness for the Korean Medical Licensing Examination (KMLE).
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- North Korean Healthcare
- Inter-Korean Relations
Background:
- Re-education of North Korean (NK) doctors is crucial for post-unification.
- Previous studies focused on the need for re-education but not its specific content or scope.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the content and scope of re-education for NK doctors.
- To analyze preliminary examination scores comparable to the Korean Medical Licensing Examination (KMLE).
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of preliminary exam scores (first vs. second attempt).
- Investigation of NK doctors' passing rates for KMLE over 3 years.
- Identification of multiple-choice questions (MCQs) with significantly lower difficulty indexes for NK doctors compared to South Korean (SK) students.
Main Results:
- Significant improvement in average scores across most subjects after re-education.
- A 75% passing rate for NK doctors in the KMLE.
- Identified 51 MCQs (6.38%) where NK doctors' difficulty indexes were substantially lower, indicating knowledge gaps in Diagnostic Techniques and Procedures, Therapeutics, Prenatal Care, and Managed Care Programs.
Conclusions:
- Integrated courses in Diagnostic Techniques and Procedures, and Therapeutics are recommended.
- Apprenticeship-style clinical training for core subjects is necessary.
- Specialized lectures in Preventive Medicine are likely required for NK doctors.
