Yonsei Institute
for Global Health

Severance International Fellowship (SIF) is open to foreign physicians, dentists, nurses, medical technicians, or health administrators who wish to experience clinical care, operative procedures, learn about the Korean healthcare system, or participate in research activities at Severance Hospital(Sinchon) Seoul, Korea. This program builds on the hospital’s long legacy and mission to educate future medical leaders in healthcare and ultimately reducing health inequalities in the global society.

1. All foreign trainees have to be eligible to enter Korea without violating Article 11(Prohibition, etc. of Entry) of the Immigration Act of the Republic of Korea.
   
   
2. All foreign trainees have to be enough fluent in English or Korean to participate in the training. Trainees have to be not only able to do daily conversation, but also have to understand and be able to listen, read, write, and speak about their professional specialty area in English or Korean. Severance Academy might request official proof of the trainee's language proficiency if necessary. Interpretations are NOT available.
   
   
3. All foreign trainees must be registered in Yonsei Institue for Global Health, mainly by applying online on this website. (Email applications are not recommended.)
   
   
4. All foreign trainees have to submit a immunization form that asks for proof of vaccination or antibody test results for specific diseases designated by Severance Hospital. Please download the form here.

* For eligibility details of this course, please see "How to Apply" menu. 

Today’s Yonsei University Health System was founded by a group of dedicated Christian doctors from the USA and Canada in 1885. It began as a small hospital, named “Kwang Hye Won."

In 1886, the medical education was launched with sixteen students. This marked not only the birth of Yonsei University, but also the starting point of modern medical education in Korea.

Dr. O. R. Avison served as the first dean of the medical school and he devoted his life to the education and training of Korean doctors.

A renowned Korean scholar, also Dr. Avison’s student, described him with these words:

"He was a man of untiring energy and dedicated spirit.

He impressed his listeners with his dynamic personality . . .

He was tolerant toward all, but was a disciplinarian in all organized behaviors . . .

(He was) our energetic leader, who served his God by serving the Korean people."

To honor and follow Dr. O. R. Avison’s vision and fervor in medical education, Yonsei University Health System established the “Project Avison 10 x 10”.

We sincerely hope that “Project Avison 10 x 10” will promote: (1) effective medical education for the medical personnel around the world; (2) cooperation network among the institutions around the world.

The aim of “Project Avison 10 x 10” is to equip qualified medical personnel in Medically Underserved Countries.

It provides education with continuous follow-ups until the medical student acquires a level of a faculty member. Ten students are to be invited per year for the ten years, thus one hundred students in total will be provided with training.

All trainees will be enrolled in the hospitals of Yonsei University Health System.

The selected medical students will be award with three invitational training/fellowship sessions in total, until they become a professor (teacher) in medicine.

Continuous supervision and mentoring in the homeland is also provided by missionaries and local professors.