Selected for Ministry of Health and Welfare innovation project

7 departments to receive 3.35 billion won in support

Jeong Min-gyu, head of the education and training department, delivers remarks at an information session on the residency training environment innovation project held July 30. [Severance Hospital]
Jeong Min-gyu, head of the education and training department, delivers remarks at an information session on the residency training environment innovation project held July 30. [Severance Hospital]

Severance Hospital is moving to strengthen the role of supervising physicians and introduce personalized education and assessment for each resident as part of a sweeping overhaul of its residency training system.

The hospital announced Monday that it has been selected for the Ministry of Health and Welfare's "Residency Training Environment Innovation Support Project" and will operate a new residency training framework under the initiative. The program aims to reinforce the educator role of supervising physicians and improve the training environment so residents can develop the practical competencies required of specialists.

Seven specialty departments — surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, emergency medicine, cardiovascular and thoracic surgery, neurology, and neurosurgery — were selected for the project alongside the intern training program. The hospital will receive a total of 3.35 billion won ($2.32 million) in project funding through the end of this year.

The core of the reform is integrating competency-based medical education (CBME) while preserving the strengths of the traditional apprenticeship model. Rather than simply accumulating clinical experience over a set period, the new system defines specific competencies residents must achieve and continuously monitors their progress toward those benchmarks.

An aerial view of the Yonsei University Health System campus. [Severance Hospital]
An aerial view of the Yonsei University Health System campus. [Severance Hospital]

To that end, the hospital will establish a supervision structure centered on two new roles: a chief supervising physician and a dedicated education supervising physician. The chief supervising physician will oversee the overall training program, educational quality, and training environment. The dedicated education supervising physician will directly mentor residents and handle instruction and assessment.

For interns in particular, each dedicated education supervising physician will be assigned no more than two trainees at a time, enabling closer, more intensive instruction. The arrangement moves away from a model in which a single supervisor manages large numbers of residents simultaneously, allowing for more careful monitoring of each trainee's individual progress and clinical performance.

Dedicated education supervising physicians will provide direct, real-time guidance and immediate feedback during actual clinical activities — including history-taking, physical examinations, procedures, and surgical assistance. They will observe residents across various clinical settings, including wards and operating rooms, and address any gaps on the spot.

Training logs and procedural records kept by residents will also be managed systematically. Assessment methods will be further refined: Severance Hospital will conduct "milestone evaluations" across four domains — clinical competency, research and academics, patient-centeredness, and leadership and growth.

Each domain is divided into five proficiency levels to assess a resident's current standing and identify both strengths and areas for improvement. Based on the results, the hospital will draw up individualized improvement plans and monitor each resident's progress continuously throughout the remainder of training.

Individual counseling sessions will also be held at least once a month. Supervising physicians will meet with residents to discuss training goals, satisfaction, difficulties, and career plans, and will provide the support and feedback needed throughout the educational process.

"Severance has grown alongside the history of medical education in Korea," said Jeong Min-gyu, head of the hospital's education and training department. "We will do our utmost to train the specialists who will lead the future of medicine — preserving the strengths of the apprenticeship model while adding competency-based education, systematic assessment, and personalized mentoring."


woo@heraldcorp.com