Abstract
Korean Oriental Medicine has experienced the fluctuation of its status since modernization started. At the beginning of the modernization, Korean Oriental Medicine faced the crisis of disappearance and, nowadays, its status has risen to the very important position in the medical system of Korea. Korean Oriental Medical doctors have obtained the position of medical profession and enjoyed the exclusive privileges. The study on the status of Korean Oriental Medicine is an interesting subject field in the sense that the empirical research on the social factors concerning the status fluctuation of medical profession in non-western world can be done. Few studies on the social status of Korean Oriental Medicine have been found so far in spite of its ample implication of the subject. This paper conducted the questionnaire survey in order to investigate the views of Korean Oriental Medical doctors about the status of Korean Oriental medicine, factors for the improvement of its status, and the cultivating methods of Korean Oriental Medicine. Depending on the demographic features of Korean Oriental Medical doctors, first, the attitude toward the status of Korean Oriental Medicine was analyzed. The criteria to be investigated were the present and future status of Korean Oriental Medicine. Second, the items for the status improvement of Korean Oriental Medicine was analyzed under the criteria of specialization and scientific movement of Korean Oriental Medicine. Third, the stance of Korean Oriental Medical doctors on the cultivating methods of Korean Oriental Medicine was analyzed under the criteria of the level of awareness of and attitude toward Korean Oriental Medicine.
