KU President Jaeho Yeom speaks about the fourth industrial revolution to future healthcare providers at the monthly “Scent of Thought” lecture for the medical school
Lecture and active conversation about future medical care and change for the university

KU President Jaeho Yeom gave a lecture on the Fourth Industrial Revolution to undergraduate and graduate students of the KU College of Medicine.

The KU Graduate School of Medicine has held the “Scent of Thought” lecture every month since 2013. This system was designed based on the educational philosophy of not only providing knowledge of the human body and mind but also developing an understanding of society for future medical personnel.

At the Yugwangsa Hall in the College of Medicine at 1:20 pm on April 6, President Yeom gave a lecture titled “The Fourth Industrial Revolution and Pioneering Medical Care.”

President Yeom spoke about the First, Second, and Third Industrial Revolution eras. He mentioned Disappearing Stethoscopes, which he had recently read, and picked law and medicine as representative fields in which the authority of professionals has declined recently. He said, “Computers and AI have now become the most accurate sources of information and people acquire knowledge from them. In addition, big data analysis will bring about breakthroughs in the medical industry and the development of future medical business models.”  He also said that, in this changing environment, creative destruction in medical science is necessary to plan its future for the next 10 years, emphasizing the necessity of changes in medical service and research corresponding to the development of technology.

President Yeom said, “When the Fourth Industrial Revolution begins, both medical education and the medical industry should change. Medical education should now focus on project-oriented education beyond simple memorization.” He hoped that the undergraduate research student system introduced last year to KU would be applied to the College of Medicine. In addition, he said that he wishes to provide opportunities for students with sincere interest in research to experience foreign medical circles and meet Nobel laureates, referring to the recent globalization of the medical world. He stressed that the most important virtue for health care providers is volunteer work. He asked KU medical students to become medical professionals with excellent skills as well as a warm heart to realize the spirit of “Medical Services for Our People and the Disadvantaged” and thus fulfill their social responsibilities and make medical care available to the public. 

Finally, President Yeom emphasized innovation in the systems, spaces, and research of KU and a future vision for the College of Medicine, saying “Both Korea University and Korea University Medical Centers are preparing for major changes in keeping with the times.” He added, “The College of Medicine with a history of 46 years will continue to develop into a member-oriented institution, and Korea University Medical Centers will grow into cutting-edge convergence medical centers.”

The undergraduate and graduate students of the College of Medicine who filled the hall listened intently to President Yeom’s speech. In the question-and-answer session after the lecture, a student named Jin-gook Lee asked President Yeom, “Some people fully understand the importance of challenge, but cannot take action because of the fear of failure. What do you think about this?” President Yeom answered, “When you make an attempt at something, you should give up on other things. If you keep preparing for the future with your goal in mind, the doors of opportunity will open up someday.” He wrapped up his lecture by stressing the importance of pioneer spirit as the students applauded.

By providing the “Scent of Thought” lectures from respected speakers in various fields, the KU College of Medicine hopes to instill a balanced awareness of society and rich emotion in their students.