40 Medical School Deans: "Government Must Reconsider Expansion of Medical School Quotas and Other Issues from the Beginning"

Dean Han Jae-jin of Ewha Womans University College of Medicine is reading a statement at the emergency press conference of the Korean Association of Medical Colleges (KAMC) held on the afternoon of the 27th at Korea University College of Medicine in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] Deans and directors of 40 medical schools nationwide, affiliated with the Korean Association of Medical Colleges (KAMC), urged the government to reconsider its healthcare policies, including the expansion of medical school quotas and the establishment of public medical schools, from the ground up and to allow medical students to return to their educational sites. They also requested postponing the Medical Licensing Examination (MLE) in light of the resurgence of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

On the 27th, KAMC held an emergency press conference at the main building of Korea University College of Medicine in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, and expressed this position through a statement titled "Urging the Government's Decision for the Normalization of Physician Workforce Production."

KAMC stated, "The deans and directors of 40 medical schools and graduate medical schools nationwide sincerely apologize to the public for causing great concern due to the recent total doctors' strike and express serious concern about the current situation." However, they added, "Medical students are angry about the government's unilateral push of major healthcare policies, including the hastily established public medical school and the expansion of medical school quotas, and are demanding a reconsideration from the ground up."

They emphasized, "Medical students, as prospective doctors, are making a strong statement by enduring tremendous personal sacrifices such as refusing the MLE and participating in a solidarity leave of absence. However, under no circumstances, including practical medical issues, can the education for training future doctors who will be responsible for healthcare be stopped."

Accordingly, the deans and directors of the 40 medical schools expressed deep concern to the medical students about "leaving the educational sites, refusing the national examination, and participating in solidarity leave of absence as means of active expression," and stated, "Under any circumstances, the deans and directors of medical schools will do their best to protect medical students who are prospective doctors."

They requested the government to form a medical-government consultative body including medical education experts to reconsider healthcare policies, including the establishment of public medical schools and the expansion of medical school quotas, from the ground up. Furthermore, they urged the government to exercise policy flexibility by postponing the MLE by at least two weeks to ensure stable physician workforce production, citing the worsening COVID-19 situation mainly in the metropolitan area, which makes it impossible to conduct the practical examination of the MLE normally.

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