INHA University
Published on 8 April 2026
Students from INHA College of Medicine became the first from a Korean medical school to participate in the ‘Silent Mentor’ program at Tzu Chi University College of Medicine in Hualien, Taiwan.
The training delegation, consisting of Vice Dean Choi Jeong-seok, Department Chair of Pre-medicine Kim Geun-ho, Professor Kim Il-doo, and four senior medical students, visited Tzu Chi University—world-renowned for its unique anatomy curriculum—for a six-day session from the 15th to the 20th.
The ‘Silent Mentor’ program is characterized by treating the cadaver not as a mere anatomical object, but as a ‘mentor,’ fostering deep reflection on respect for life and human dignity. Students engaged in a humanities-based educational process that included studying the donor’s life in advance, meeting with bereaved families, performing gratitude rituals, and attending memorial ceremonies to honor the donor's legacy.
Notably, this practice utilized fresh(unembalmed) cadavers, which allow students to experience tissue textures similar to actual clinical settings without chemical preservation treatments. Students enhanced their practical capabilities by performing basic clinical skills, such as skin incision and suturing, vascular access, and arthrocentesis. Beyond technical acquisition, the experience provided an integrated education in empathy, ethics, and professionalism.
Tzu Chi University College of Medicine has practiced education that respects cadavers as ‘Silent Mentors’ since 1996 and has been operating this program in earnest since 2002. These efforts have spread bioethical awareness throughout Taiwanese society, resulting in approximately 43,000 organ and cadaver donation pledges to date, making it a global model for anatomical education.
This training is also part of the ‘Community-Based Medical Education’ program currently being promoted by the College of Medicine. Since last year, it has been adopted as specialized education under the ‘Regional Innovation Strategy and Capacity Building (RISE)’ project, conducted by the Ministry of Education and 17 metropolitan governments, including Incheon Metropolitan City, to strengthen educational capabilities.
Based on the achievements of this training, the College of Medicine plans to strengthen its clinical surgical anatomy curriculum—integrating medical humanities, basic anatomy, and clinical medicine—and systematize mutual cooperation with Tzu Chi University to transform into a medical school that fulfills its social responsibilities.
Lee Hoon-jae, Dean of the College of Medicine, stated, “This training at Tzu Chi University served as an important opportunity to confirm the direction of the community-based and integrated medical curriculum that Inha University College of Medicine pursues.” He added, “Based on the ‘Silent Mentor’ program model, we plan to fully implement a surgical anatomy curriculum in connection with our newly developed educational and practice facilities.”
▲ Medical students pay their respects while viewing photos and descriptions of the ‘Silent Mentor’s’ life displayed on a monitor before the practice session.
▲ Participating students honor the ‘Silent Mentors’ by singing a memorial song during a gratitude ceremony.
