Preventive medicine aims to prevent people from becoming patients rather than treating illness.

The concept of prevention is applied widely, from before the outbreak of diseases to rehabilitation after the outbreak.

Preventive medicine was first taught in the university when Professor F.W.

Schofield (Korean name: Seok Ho-pil) started lecturing on hygienics at Severance Union Institute of Medicine in 1916.

It is said that his lecture mainly covered personal hygiene, food, air quality, and water quality.

In 1955, graduate Yang Jae-mo returned to the school after studying in the United States and introduced the modern concept of preventive medicine and public health.

The Department of Preventive Medicine contributed to the establishment of public health centers across the country through setting the example of opening the first university-affiliated public health center in 1956, and promoted the Korean government’s family planning movement by launching the Population and Family Planning Research Center.

The department will continue to lead the development of preventive medicine by cultivating talents and conducting various studies.