The Party and Government Agree to Increase Medical School Quotas by 4,000 Over 10 Years... Introduction of Regional Mandatory Service System

Promotion of New Medical Schools Considering Local Governments and Universities
Public Medical Schools to be Established as 'Medical Officer Academies'
Establishment of National Public Medical Graduate School Utilizing 49 Medical Quotas from Seonam University

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporters Kang Nahum and Jeon Jinyoung] The ruling party and the government decided on the 23rd to expand the quota of medical school students by 4,000 over 10 years to increase public medical personnel and to establish a public medical school in the form of a 'military medical academy.'

Cho Jeongsik, the Policy Committee Chairman of the Democratic Party of Korea, announced the 'Plan to Expand Medical School Quotas and Establish Public Medical Schools to Increase Public Medical Personnel' containing these details after the party-government consultation held at the National Assembly on the same day.

According to the announced plan, the current medical school quota of 3,058 will be increased by 400 students annually starting from the 2022 academic year, adding a total of 4,000 students over 10 years. This aims to resolve the shortage and imbalance of doctors within regions.

Among the annual increase of 400 students, 300 will be trained as regional doctors who are required to work in essential fields of severe medical care. Regional doctors will be selected through a regional doctor selection process that provides full scholarships and will be obligated to serve in essential severe medical fields at medical institutions within the region for 10 years. If they fail to fulfill this obligation, scholarship repayment and license revocation will be enforced.

The remaining 100 students annually will be trained as 50 specialists in special fields and 50 medical scientists. Specialists in special fields will be trained as talents in epidemiological investigation, severe trauma, and other special fields, while medical scientists will be nurtured in basic science, pharmaceuticals, bio, and other medical science areas.

The establishment of new medical schools and public medical schools will also be promoted. Considering the will and feasibility of local governments and the respective universities comprehensively, quotas can be set separately from the existing medical school quota increases. In particular, the establishment of public medical schools will be promoted as a kind of military medical academy focusing on nurturing talents in essential fields required by the public sector.

The ruling party and government also plan to legislate to utilize the 49 medical school quotas from Seonam University separately from the expanded medical school quotas and to establish a National Public Medical Graduate School.

Chairman Cho said, "The final confirmation and notification of the 2022 academic year medical school quota, decided through today's party-government consultation, will be implemented by the Ministry of Health and Welfare to the Ministry of Education by the end of this month or early next month, and the Ministry of Education will establish a basic plan for medical school quota allocation by December this year." He added, "The allocation review will be completed by February 2021, and the admission guidelines will be announced in May 2021."

He also said, "Regarding the establishment of the National Public Medical Graduate School, Representative Kim Seongju has already proposed the 'Act on the Establishment and Operation of the National Public Health Medical University.' We will proceed with prompt legislation to establish the National Public Medical Graduate School and aim to open it in March 2024."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.