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Khon Kaen University

Doctor of Medicine Program

SDG Alignment for Doctor of Medicine Program

Overall SDG Alignment Evaluation:

The Doctor of Medicine program is intrinsically and profoundly aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, serving as a cornerstone for advancing human health and well-being. The curriculum's philosophy is dedicated to producing competent, ethical, and socially-responsible physicians who are committed to serving society, particularly in rural and underserved areas. This mission makes the program a direct and powerful engine for achieving SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), with the entirety of the clinical training aimed at diagnosing, treating, and preventing communicable and non-communicable diseases. By explicitly focusing on community and family medicine, the program directly confronts health disparities, making a significant contribution to SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). As a rigorous six-year professional degree, it is a flagship of SDG 4 (Quality Education). Furthermore, the program fosters innovation in healthcare (SDG 9), instills principles for strong and ethical health institutions (SDG 16), and is built upon a foundation of extensive partnerships with hospitals and communities, embodying the spirit of SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

SDG Related Course(s)

SDG 3 Icon SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

Alignment Summary: This program is the embodiment of SDG 3. Its entire curriculum is designed to produce physicians capable of ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all. Every course, from foundational sciences to advanced clinical clerkships, is focused on understanding, diagnosing, treating, and preventing human disease, directly contributing to the fight against epidemics, reducing mortality, and achieving universal health coverage.

Course CodeCourse TitleAlignment Rationale
MD415302Infection and ImmunologyDirectly contributes to ending the epidemics of communicable diseases by providing a deep understanding of infectious agents and the immune response, which is crucial for diagnosis and treatment (Target 3.3).
MD415401OncologySupports the reduction of premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through the prevention and treatment of cancer (Target 3.4).
MD415605Community Medicine and Family Medicine 1Is fundamental to achieving universal health coverage by training physicians in primary care, health promotion, and disease prevention at the community level (Target 3.8).
MD416701-416710Clerkship in Medical Profession 1-10This entire series of clerkships across all major medical disciplines represents the practical application of knowledge to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all patients.

SDG 4 Icon SDG 4: Quality Education

Alignment Summary: The Doctor of Medicine program represents a pinnacle of quality education. It provides a comprehensive and rigorous six-year professional education, ensuring that future physicians acquire the complex knowledge, technical skills, and ethical grounding necessary for lifelong learning and for serving as educators to patients and communities.

Course CodeCourse TitleAlignment Rationale
MD415610Medical Education and EthicsDirectly promotes knowledge and skills needed for sustainable development by teaching the principles of education and ethics, enabling graduates to be effective communicators and ethical leaders (Target 4.7).
MD416701-416710Clerkship in Medical Profession 1-10Provides inclusive and equitable quality education through thousands of hours of supervised, hands-on clinical training, which is essential for acquiring the vocational skills for employment as a physician (Target 4.4).

SDG 8 Icon SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

Alignment Summary: The program contributes to economic growth by producing highly skilled physicians, a critical component of a healthy and productive workforce and a high-value sector of the economy. It promotes decent work by instilling principles of professional ethics and law, ensuring graduates are prepared for safe and meaningful employment.

Course CodeCourse TitleAlignment Rationale
MD415610Medical Education and EthicsPromotes decent work by ensuring graduates understand and adhere to the ethical principles of the medical profession, which is fundamental to a safe and respectful work environment (Target 8.8).

SDG 9 Icon SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

Alignment Summary: The curriculum supports the development of resilient healthcare infrastructure and fosters medical innovation. Graduates are trained to utilize modern medical technologies and are encouraged to engage in research, which drives scientific and clinical innovation in healthcare.

Course CodeCourse TitleAlignment Rationale
MD415610Medical Education and EthicsWhile primarily focused on education, this course enhances scientific research by promoting an understanding of research ethics, a prerequisite for responsible medical innovation (Target 9.5).

SDG 10 Icon SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

Alignment Summary: A core philosophy of this program is to reduce health inequalities. By training physicians in community and family medicine with a focus on serving rural areas, the curriculum directly addresses the need to ensure equal access to healthcare opportunities for all, regardless of their geographic location or social status.

Course CodeCourse TitleAlignment Rationale
MD415605Community Medicine and Family Medicine 1Directly aims to reduce inequality by training doctors to work in primary care and community settings, improving healthcare access for rural and underserved populations (Target 10.2).
MD416708Clerkship in Medical Profession 8 (Community Medicine)Empowers and promotes the social and economic inclusion of all by providing medical care directly in communities, addressing the specific health needs of those populations and ensuring more equitable health outcomes (Target 10.2).

SDG 16 Icon SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Alignment Summary: The program contributes to building strong and just institutions by instilling a deep understanding of medical ethics and law. This is fundamental to creating a healthcare system that is accountable, transparent, and provides equal access to justice for all patients.

Course CodeCourse TitleAlignment Rationale
MD415610Medical Education and EthicsContributes to developing effective, accountable and transparent institutions by grounding future physicians in the ethical principles that must govern healthcare systems (Target 16.6).

SDG 17 Icon SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

Alignment Summary: The clinical training model of the Doctor of Medicine program is a powerful example of multi-stakeholder partnerships. The extensive clerkship rotations represent a deep and sustained collaboration between the university and a network of hospitals and community health centers, all working together to build the capacity of the national health system.

Course CodeCourse TitleAlignment Rationale
MD416701-416710Clerkship in Medical Profession 1-10This entire series of courses represents an effective public-private or public-public partnership, building collaborative experience between academia and healthcare providers to strengthen the health system and achieve health-related SDGs (Target 17.17).