Establishing MD-PhD Programs in the Graduate School of Medicine in Korea

An MD-PhD is a physician-scientist with dual degrees integrating both medical and postgraduate training. In the 21st century, MD-PhDs will represent the main power and leadership of biomedical research and biotechnology, which can lead to national wealth in the very near future. Their education is supported primarily by the special grant from MSTP (medical scientist training program) owned by NIH-NIGMS (NIH-National Institute of General Medical Sciences) and partly by a non-MSTP grant prepared by each school. Since 2004, AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) approved MD-PhD section in the GREAT Group (Group on Graduate Research, Education, and Training) to promote the development, growth, and nurturing of physician-scientist training programs by representing the interest of MD-PhD programs. For successful launching of the combined MD-PhD program in the graduate schools of medicine in Korea, the following issues must be resolved as soon as possible: full scholarship support during the 7-year program, exemption from mandatory military service following graduation, official approval of PhD degree in the professional medical school, and introduction of the MD-PhD combined degree program to laypersons. Therefore, I strongly urge Korean government to take time and determine the budget for nurturing MD-PhD students to develop as biomedical leaders to bring national prosperity as well as world-class scientists in the 21st century.