Increasing admittance to medical schools on the basis of science: PM from South Korea

The government’s decision to raise the limit for medical school enrollment by 2,000 in order to alleviate the physician shortage was supported by scientific study, according to South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Wednesday.

According to Yonhap news agency, more than 90% of the nation’s 13,000 young physicians have been voluntarily resigning in protest against the government’s decision for over a month. This has caused the cancelation of vital procedures and severely damaged the medical system.

Han Duck-soo remarked, “It is regrettable that the medical community is now claiming a lack of scientific analysis and consultation,” during a meeting at the Sejong government complex with pertinent authorities.

Han Duck-soo mentioned a research that predicted there will be a 10,000 doctor shortfall by 2035 and said that medical schools had asked the government to raise the quota.

Taking into consideration the time needed for medical training, we have decided to boost enrollment by 2,000 beginning in 2025, according to Han Duck-soo.

The length of time that medical interns and residents have been on strike has increased. These individuals are essential to the five hospitals’ emergency departments and surgical departments.

One of the five largest general hospitals in the nation, Seoul National University, has medical school instructors who have threatened to submit mass resignations the next week if the government does not provide “a reasonable breakthrough” in the current strike.

Teachers at a number of other medical schools have also threatened to take similar action if the government does not agree to conduct talks without demands.

Han Duck-soo said, “We urge (the professors) to actively persuade their colleagues to return to patients’ bedsides, rather than participating in groundless collective actions.”