Latte, Jajungjiran, Nakdonggang Orial... Fragmented 'Medical Community'

'Latte' KMA: Medical Student Relief Measures Are 'Issues to Be Solved Politically'
'Self-Conflict' Residents Unable to Speak with One Voice, Return to Work
'Nakdonggang Ori-al' Medical Students Hesitate Over Withdrawing National Exam Refusal

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy reporters Seo So-jeong and Jo Hyun-ui] As the Korean Medical Association (KMA) and the Korean Intern Resident Association (KIRA) have ended their collective strike and returned to the medical field, medical students?the last group involved in the struggle?are still deliberating over the withdrawal of the national medical licensing exam and whether to take it. The day before, the Korean Medical Students Association (KMSA), representing students from the first year of pre-med to the third year of medical school, expressed their intention to continue the strike, but within the medical student community, a sense of disillusionment is widespread, with many feeling that the momentum and justification for the struggle have already been lost.

According to the medical community on the 12th, fourth-year medical students have yet to conclude internal discussions regarding the continuation of the refusal to take the licensing exam. Within the KMSA, there is a division between hardliners who insist that collective action must continue for the normalization of healthcare and the pragmatic stance of fourth-year students who must take the exam immediately, resulting in confusion and indecision.

◆Medical Students Flounder, Unable to Find an Exit= Medical students likened their inability to find an exit to being "ducks stranded on the Nakdong River." The day before, the KMSA appealed, saying, "We started as students and will end as students. Seniors, please join us in this quiet struggle," and lamented, "Our seniors have returned to hospitals and schools. Students are left alone, like ducks stranded on the Nakdong River."

In fact, the KMA, led mainly by private practitioners, halted the medical strike on the 4th after reaching an agreement with the ruling party and the government. KIRA, the main force behind the strike, also failed to unify internal opinions, leading to the resignation of the existing emergency committee and the formation of a new one, but ultimately, all members returned to work through a vote. Only the KMSA remains to continue the struggle alone, but with no more justification or practical benefits, the realistic view that students should take the licensing exam is gaining traction.

On an online community for a university, 'Everytime,' a post appeared on the medical school student board expressing dissatisfaction: "KMSA says they will continue the strike, but are we supposed to keep going too? This is really absurd; why continue?" The worries and anxieties of fourth-year students who must take the licensing exam are even greater. A medical student who requested anonymity said, "Honestly, if we don't take the exam now, wouldn't that just benefit those who do? Next year's exam participation rate will soar, making internal competition fiercer, so we can't just think about the purity of the struggle."

Although medical students have decided to continue collective action, there are many voices opposing it. One medical student said, "It's not easy to voice dissenting opinions within the closed structure of medical schools," adding, "Knowing the significant impact of refusing the licensing exam and the strike, I think continuing the struggle is difficult."

◆Ministry of Health and Welfare: "KMSA Must Declare Intent to Take Exam"= The government has reiterated that additional exams or extensions of the registration deadline are not possible but has not ruled out the possibility of considering additional exams if medical students request them. A Ministry of Health and Welfare official stated, "If the KMSA brings an official stance regarding collective action such as taking the licensing exam, we will begin to review it."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The government holds the position that since medical students are refusing the licensing exam of their own 'free will,' it is difficult to propose remedial measures. Son Young-rae, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Welfare, said, "There is no provision for additional exams in the agreement between the KMA and the government," but added, "Since students are voluntarily refusing the exam, it is not possible for the medical community to demand the government to consider additional exams."

Son's remarks can be interpreted as "no additional exams," but also leave room for interpretation as "consideration possible if there is an official request from medical students." If medical students, amid worsening public opinion, officially apologize to the public for their collective action and express their intention to take the exam, additional exams would not be entirely impossible. Lee Yoon-sung, president of the Korea Health Personnel Licensing Examination Institute, which manages the medical licensing exam, stated, "If the Ministry of Health and Welfare makes a decision, the exam institute will prepare accordingly."

The government has not prepared alternatives for the shortage of doctors caused by medical students' refusal to take the licensing exam. This year, 86% of students did not take the exam, and if they are held back for a year, it could disrupt recruitment for internship hospitals, public health doctors, and military medical officers. However, the government has only provided general responses, stating, "We will minimize manpower gaps through appropriate placement adjustments, role reassignments, and workforce expansion."

The medical community also repeatedly urges the establishment of remedial measures for medical students but has yet to present effective solutions. The Korean Association of Medical School Professors warned in a statement, "According to the medical-government agreement, the government must conduct a complete additional exam," and cautioned, "The problems arising from the failure to properly conduct the licensing exam are significant both in the short and long term."

The KMA and residents, who warned they might resume collective action if no relief is provided to medical students upon returning to clinical practice, share the same stance. KMA President Choi Dae-jip stated that the relief measures for medical students taking the national exam are "a political issue that must be resolved."

As the situation remains unresolved, senior figures in the medical community have stepped forward. Five organizations?the Association of Private University Medical Centers, the Association of Private University Hospitals, the Association of National University Hospitals, the Association of Tertiary Hospitals, and the Association of Training Hospitals?issued a statement the day before, saying, "We deeply apologize to the public for the inconvenience and anxiety caused by the medical community crisis amid the COVID-19 pandemic," and appealed, "Please trust the seniors and mentors in the medical community and give our students one more chance to overcome today's pain," urging relief for medical students refusing the exam.

A medical community official said, "81% of fourth-year students at Seoul National University opposed refusing the licensing exam, and many students at other universities want to take it," adding, "However, since government relief is uncertain and there is no clear exit, they are continuing to deliberate." A hospital industry official expressed concern, saying, "The interests and positions of the KMA, residents, and medical students differ slightly, so they cannot speak with one voice," and added, "As the medical community continues to be divided, public opinion seems to be worsening."

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