Changwon University President Lee Ho-young Analyzes Public Medical School Cases at Japan's Ryukyu University

Lee Ho-young, President of Changwon National University, visited the University of the Ryukyus in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, and the Okinawa Clinical Simulation Center.

Changwon National University announced on the 2nd that President Lee visited the University of the Ryukyus, a prestigious national university renowned in the field of medical science in Japan, to establish a medical school, a long-standing project pursued by the university and the local community for 30 years.

According to the university, Okinawa Prefecture has been implementing a regional quota system for the Faculty of Medicine at the University of the Ryukyus since 2009.

The regional quota system is a national medical school admission selection system aimed at resolving the imbalance of medical personnel in local areas.

A portion of the total medical school quota is selected through the regional quota system, and after completing the six-year curriculum, students are required to work for a designated period at specified local medical institutions.

In 2022, out of 117 students admitted to the Faculty of Medicine at the University of the Ryukyus, 17 were admitted through the regional quota system.

Changwon National University President Lee Ho-young (third from the left) is talking with Oyasu Yusuke, Dean of the Medical School and Director of the University Hospital at Ryukyu University in Japan (far right), and the Director of the Okinawa Clinical Simulation Center.
[Photo by Changwon National University]

President Lee and Kim Young-chan, Vice Director of the International Exchange and Education Center, officially visited the University of the Ryukyus starting April 23.

They received briefings from university officials on the curriculum of the medical school and university hospital, the public healthcare operation system including the regional quota system, policies for securing doctors in remote and underserved areas, and the outcomes of these efforts.

They also visited the Tropical Medicine Museum at Nagasaki University, a national university in Nagasaki Prefecture, and signed an agreement to expand exchange and cooperation, including in the field of medical school establishment.

Through this visit, President Lee analyzed cases of regional medical infrastructure expansion through Japan’s autonomous medical schools and the regional quota system of medical faculties, and decided to cooperate and exchange with the respective universities.

They confirmed the educational and research sites related to public healthcare at national universities in Japan and sought strategies for domestic application.

President Lee stated, “Japan has achieved certain results in resolving regional imbalances in medical personnel and securing doctors in remote and underserved areas through autonomous medical schools and the regional quota system of the University of the Ryukyus Faculty of Medicine. This holds significant implications for securing medical personnel in Gyeongnam Province.”

He added, “Changwon National University will fulfill its public responsibility as a regional national university by establishing a medical school to guarantee the right to life and health of 3.3 million residents of Gyeongnam Province and 1.04 million citizens of Changwon City, addressing regional medical imbalances, shortages of essential medical personnel, and the outflow of outstanding local talent.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.