Student Learning Outcomes and Program Evaluation in Medical Humanities Education in Korea: A Systematic Review

The 2024 medical education crisis in Korea renewed attention to medical students’ professional identity formation and underscored the importance of medical humanities education. Although humanities programs have expanded across Korean medical schools, their impact on student learning outcomes has not been systematically synthesized. This review examines empirical evidence on medical humanities interventions in Korean undergraduate medical education. Following PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses) 2020 guidelines, we searched PubMed, KoreaMed, KMBASE, and RISS for studies published between January 2000 and May 2025. Eligible studies reported empirical outcomes from interventions involving Korean undergraduate medical students. Program outcomes were categorized using the Best Evidence Medical Education-modified Kirkpatrick evaluation model. Of 121 records screened, 14 met the inclusion criteria. Common program types included medical ethics, community engagement, reflective practice, and professionalism, often delivered through interactive methods such as discussion, debates, and group activities. Assessments relied exclusively on self-reported surveys and ref lective writing. Overall, programs demonstrated short-term improvements in empathy, professionalism, and ethical reasoning, which were classified as Kirkpatrick Level 2 outcomes. No study provided evidence of Level 3 behavioral change. These findings reflect progress in Korean medical humanities programs while emphasizing the ongoing need for outcome-based evaluation and broader curricular development. This review provides a foundation for designing strengthened medical humanities programs, broadening curricular scope, and developing assessment strategies that better capture how humanities education contributes to students’ professional growth within the rapidly evolving landscape of Korean healthcare.