As studies analyzing the networks and relational structures of research topics in academic fields emerge, studies that apply methods of network and relationship analysis, such as social network analysis (SNA), are drawing more attention. The purpose of this study is to explore the interaction of medical education subjects in the framework of complex systems theory using SNA and to analyze the trends in medical education. The authors extracted keywords using Medical Subject Headings terms from 9,379 research articles (162,866 keywords) published in 1963–2015 in PubMed. They generated an occurrence frequency matrix, calculated relatedness using Weighted Jaccard Similarity, and analyzed and visualized the networks with Gephi software. Newly emerging topics by period units were identified as historical trends, and 20 global-level topic clusters were obtained through network analysis. A time-series analysis led to the definition of five historical periods: the waking phase (1963–1975), the birth phase (1976–1990), the growth phase (1991–1996), the maturity phase (1997–2005), and the expansion phase (2006–2015). The study analyzed the trends in medical education research using SNA and analyzed their meaning using complex systems theory. During the 53-year period studied, medical education research has been subdivided and has expanded, improved, and changed along with shifts in society’s needs. By analyzing the trends in medical education using the conceptual framework of complex systems theory, the research team determined that medical education is forming a sense of the voluntary order within the field of medicine by interacting with social studies, philosophy, etc., and establishing legitimacy and originality.

Ji YA, et al. Yonsei Med J. 2022 Jan;63(Suppl):S14-S21. https://doi.org/10.3349/ymj.2022.63.S14

The purpose of this study is to understand the factors affecting abdominal obesity. A secondary data analysis was conducted to analyze 5262 individuals’ data from the 2020 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The prevalence of obesity was slightly higher in men than women, while abdominal obesity was more prevalent in women. A higher correlation with obesity was observed in young and middle-aged individuals, unmarried individuals, urban residents, those with good subjective health, low-stress perception, moderate alcohol consumption, nonsmokers, regular aerobic exercisers, and those getting more than seven hours of sleep. In contrast, middle-aged and elderly individuals, married individuals, rural residents, those with an elementary school or lower education level, those with low-to-moderate income, those with fair or poor subjective health, high stress perception, nondrinkers, smokers, nonregular aerobic exercisers, and those getting less than seven hours of sleep had a higher correlation with abdominal obesity. Health education suggests that everyone should maintain healthy lifestyle habits, such as getting sufficient sleep, exercise, smoking cessation, and moderate drinking. Specifically, diverse health management support focusing on population groups with demographic factors related to the risk of obesity and abdominal obesity is necessary.

Purpose: We not only developed a clinical practice program for the assessment and feedback vis-à-vis medical students’ medical records but also evaluated the effectiveness of this program via a self-assessment of medical students’ competence in writing medical records pre- and post-program.Methods: In 2022, 74 third-year medical students were divided into four groups and participated in a 2-week program. The students’ medical records were graded on a scale ranging from 1 to 3 daily, and the mean scores for 2 weeks were compared. Pre- and post-program, the students’ self-assessment survey was conducted.Results: The mean scores increased from 1.30 in the first week to 2.14 in the second week. The mean score of self-assessment showed significant improvements, increasing from 2.43 to 4.00 for medical record, 2.64 to 4.08 for write present illness, 2.08 to 3.89 for initial orders, 2.35 to 4.34 for signature, and 2.38 to 3.97 for consent (all p<0.001).Conclusion: We found that providing students with real-time assessment and feedback on their medical records increased their skills and confidence in medical records writing.

Objectives: This study aims to explore the effectiveness of medical communication skills training through generative AI (Artificial Intelligence), such as ChatGPT. The primary objective is to analyze the impact of AI-based education on students’ communication abilities and learning experiences, while also discussing the long-term potential of integrating AI into medical education. Methods: A communication education utilizing Generative AI was designed for 70 first-year medical students. The program employed a multifaceted approach, including virtual patient simulations, real-time feedback, and selfreflection. Post-training surveys were conducted to assess student satisfaction and learning outcomes. Both quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed to derive the results.Results: Students perceived AI-based training as having a positive impact on their communication skills. In particular, realtime feedback and the opportunity for repeated practice contributed to boosting students’ confidence. The average satisfaction score exceeded 3.7, with students responding favorably to the interaction with AI, believing it would enhance their communication skills in real clinical settings. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the potential of generative AI as a valuable tool in medical education, contributing to the improvement of communication training quality. Future research should focus on expanding the scope of AI applications and analyzing the long-term effectiveness of such training programs across a wider range of clinical scenarios.