Dispatch of Health Students Studying Abroad and Conflict Over Study Abroad Policy in the U.S. Army Military Government Period

After liberation, the Korean health care system changed under the influence of the United States. This study focuses on health students studying abroad during the U.S. Army Military Government period as a starting point for changes in Korean health care. By focusing on the process and educational content of sending international students, we will examine the differences in the positions of institutions involved in sending international students and the content of American public health knowledge received through studying abroad. The first and second Rockefeller Foundation international students studied public health and other detailed technologies in the United States and conducted field trips. The concept of public health accepted in the United States was premised on responsibility for the community and could become the basis for the role of health care administration during the nation-building period. By cultivating expertise in specific majors, including public health administration, international students were able to play a central role in Korea’s health care administration. Through the second student dispatch process, we were able to examine the differences in judgments and positions between the US military government, including Korean medical education group, and the Rockefeller Foundation regarding the tasks that should be focused on in Korea. While the US military government emphasized the improvement of Korean medical education during the selection process for international students, the Rockefeller Foundation sought to select those who would focus on improving Korea's ‘public health’. This could later be reflected in the development of Korean medical education, which focused on the development of medical fields other than public health. In addition, the fact that the positions of the US military government and the Rockefeller Foundation were not the same regarding the dispatch of international students suggested that the ‘Americanization’ of health care needed to be reviewed by specific sector and period.