In the early 1990s, shortly after its opening, Asan Medical Center witnessed its medical staff, including then-Associate Professor Sung-Gyu Lee from the Department of Surgery, depart for training at Hannover University Hospital in Germany to learn organ transplantation procedures. What was once a hospital where doctors went to learn, Asan Medical Center has now evolved into a leading institution that educates physicians from around the globe.

Training programs for international medical professionals are conducted in various clinical fields such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and organ transplantation. According to statistics from the past decade, from 2014 to present, a total of 3,500 medical professionals from 98 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, have participated in short and long-term training programs and returned to their home countries. Asan Medical Center has been expanding its global network through collaboration with these professionals.

Recently, Asan Medical Center introduced a robotic surgery training program aimed at international medical professionals. This training program, designed to enhance the competitiveness of the G2G (Government to Government) physician training program, is conducted at the Robotic Surgery Training Center, with guidance provided by Professors such as Jeong-Yeol Park and Sa Ra Lee from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Professor Yong Sik Yoon from the Division of Colorectal Surgery.

▲ Professor Yong Sik Yoon, Director of the Robotic Surgery Center (at the front of the screen), is guiding international medical professionals in robotic surgery techniques using experimental animals.

Since adopting robotic surgery systems in 2007, Asan Medical Center has achieved 10,000 cases in 2017 and 20,000 cases in 2021, performing over 4,000 robotic surgeries annually. With its wealth of clinical experience and advanced medical equipment, Asan Medical Center was designated as an 'Epicenter,' an international training center for robotic surgery, at the end of last year. Asan Medical Center plans to conduct regular robotic surgery training programs twice a year to pass on the latest surgical techniques to international medical professionals.

Dr. Mohammad Mousa, a clinical instructor from Saudi Arabia who participated in this recent training program, said, "Through various training programs including the robotic surgery training course, I was able to learn the latest surgical techniques and knowledge. I would like to express my gratitude to the professors and staff who provided an opportunity for me to grow."