Establishment and Operation of Women’s Medical Education Institutions (1928-1945): The Beginning of Korea’s ‘Women’s Medicine’ Education System and the Formation of Modern Medical Education

Focusing on individuals who played key roles in the Joseon Woman’s Medical Training Institute and Gyeongseong Woman’s Medical College, this study examines the establishment and operation of Korean women’s medical education institutions. Existing research has not sufficiently explored the women’s medical education-related activities and impacts of Korean doctors and prominent figures from the founding of the Joseon Woman’s Medical Training Institute to the establishment and operation of Gyeongseong Woman’s Medical College. To fill this gap in the literature, this study analyzes the changes in instructors and faculty responsible for women’s medical education, as well as the ongoing efforts of Korean doctors and influential figures who helped initiate and institutionalize women’s medical education in order to understand its significance. The investigation confirms that in 1928, Rosetta Sherwood Hall, along with Korean doctors and prominent individuals, established the Joseon Woman’s Medical Training Institute. The movement to establish a women’s medical school reignited Korean society’s interest in the ideals of women's medical education, leading to the establishment of Gyeongseong Woman’s Medical College in 1938. Additionally, Korean doctors overseeing women’s medical education from the Joseon Woman’s Medical Training Institute and Gyeongseong Woman’s Medical College committed to continually training female doctors. Following liberation in 1945, many of these instructors and faculty members became professors at National Medical Schools. Ultimately, the activities of Korean doctors and prominent individuals catalyzed Korean women's medical education during the colonial period. After liberation, these individuals contributed to the development of modern Korean medical education.