The Development of an Educational Program for Improving the Ethical Problem-Solving Ability of Medical Students*

The main educational objective of modern colleges of medicine is to nurture good doctors. Although all medical colleges in South Korea currently provide medical ethics education, these programs have not been designed systematically. The purpose of this study was to develop a model for improving the ethical problem-solving ability of medical students and to analyze its effects. The model requires students to engage in a variety of problem-solving activities, such as preparing materials, searching for information, collaborating with others, sharing information, examining options, and reflecting on results. The model was based on the principles and steps of case-based learning, discussion learning, cooperative learning, and moral teaching-learning model. The model was implemented in classroom settings and its effectiveness was analyzed with satisfaction surveys as well tests of students’ problem-solving abilities before and after the course. The survey results show that the professors and students were generally satisfied with the program (professor M=4.4, students M=4.2), and a T-test found a significant improvement (t=-3.34, p<.001) in students’ problem-solving scores following this course.