여성 보건의료인 양성을 위한 ‘대학교육’의 시작과 정착 ― 이화여대를 중심으로(1945-1960) ―

Abstract

This paper examines the origins and establishment of professional women’s medical education in Korean universities after liberation. It focuses on Ewha Womans University, as it was the birthplace of women’s medical education in Korea and the first institution offering ‘university education’ in medicine, pharmacy, and nursing to train female medical personnel after liberation. Although education for training female medical professionals began in the modern era, the number of female doctors was insufficient immediately after liberation, with Gyeongseong Women’s Medical College being the only educational institution at the time. According to statistics from the U.S. military government, there were only four female pharmacists in South Korea, and no pharmaceutical education institutions for women. Furthermore, while some institutions had been training nurses at various hospitals since the Japanese colonial period, the level of education was low, and there were no specialized university-level institutions. In this context, Ewha Womans University realized the comprehensive vision it had developed during the Japanese colonial period and established the first ‘university education’ programs in Korea in medicine (1945), pharmacy (1945), and nursing (1955), driven by a firm commitment to training female medical professionals. After liberation, the conditions for establishing educational institutions to train female medical professionals were poor. There was a lack of independent spaces, facilities, laboratories, necessary equipment, and affiliated hospitals, as well as a severe budget shortfall for new facilities. These programs were not initially operated in a systematic manner, and there was also a shortage of professors to teach the students. Despite significant opposition and concerns about establishing departments for training medical professionals, administrators and professors of Ewha Womans University overcame numerous challenges with a commitment to increasing the number of female medical professionals and enhancing their capabilities. Support from various organizations and individuals outside the school greatly aided the establishment of women’s medical education, while the determination of the students who studied in these difficult environments also played a crucial role. The medical, pharmacy, and nursing programs that began under such challenging circumstances faced another crisis during the Korean War. Classes for the medical and pharmacy departments continued in Busan, the temporary refuge. After returning to Seoul in 1953, the training of female medical professionals resumed in earnest. Through comprehensive education and research, practical training, field trips tailored to each department, and volunteer work at locations such as villages without doctors, maternal and child health centers, and public health centers, students gained both theoretical knowledge and clinical experience. These early female medical professionals became central figures in the development of Korean women’s medicine, contributing to both academic and clinical fields. From 1945 to 1960, the programs in medicine, pharmacy, and nursing at Ewha Woman’s University provided Korean women with the opportunity to contribute to the health and well-being of the nation through their professional knowledge. These activities not only advanced women’s professional participation but also played a significant role in improving women’s status in Korean society.