Seoul National University has announced plans to expand its medical department’s admission quota by 15 students for the upcoming year, bringing the total to 150 students. Alongside this increase, the university will establish a new Department of Medical Science with an additional quota of 50 students, separate from the existing medical school. The Department of Medical Science will focus on training physician-scientists who will engage in research in areas such as basic health and bio-health.
Physician-scientists hold medical licenses but are primarily engaged in researching and developing new medical technologies, drugs, and advanced medical equipment rather than patient care. Half of the Nobel laureates in Physiology or Medicine are physician-scientists. Among the chief technology officers of the top 10 pharmaceutical companies worldwide, 70% are physician-scientists. The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine was also developed by physician-scientists, generating revenue of $90 billion from this vaccine alone. One of the co-founders of Moderna is also a physician-scientist.
Over the past two decades, a prevailing trend in South Korea has witnessed a disproportionate number of high-achieving students opting for medical school over other fields. This presents an opportunity to harness this workforce for innovation and the creation of new industries beneficial to the nation. However, the Korean medical sector has largely overlooked this potential, as evidenced by the country’s meager 2% share in the $1.5 trillion global medical market, which sharply contrasts with its dominance in the semiconductor industry. This disparity is further highlighted by the minimal percentage of medical graduates, comprising less than 1% of the approximately 3,300 yearly graduates, who choose to pursue medical science.
Despite these challenges, Seoul National University has taken proactive steps to address the shortage of physician-scientists by expanding its medical school quota and establishing the Department of Medical Science. The university aims to integrate students from various departments, including engineering, and encourage them to pursue research careers rather than clinical practice. Additionally, plans are underway to establish a medical science research hub in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province.
Internationally, developed countries like the United States, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland have long recognized the importance of training physician-scientists, dating back to the 1970s. These countries have established programs like HST, jointly operated by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), to cater to this need. In Korea, institutions such as KAIST and POSTECH have expressed similar intentions but faced resistance from existing doctors.
Seoul National University, renowned for its top-tier medical students and strong scientific engineering infrastructure, is well-positioned to close the gap in domestic and international medical industries. This is further supported by the fact that one-third of Harvard Medical School’s 3,000 doctors are physician-scientists, and prestigious institutions like Israel’s Technion Institute and the Illinois Institute of Technology also house medical schools. It’s crucial for not only Seoul National University but also institutions like KAIST and POSTECH, boasting excellent scientific and engineering infrastructure, to freely conduct research and education in medical science, with doctors supporting this endeavor rather than opposing it.
