Medical School Deans Appeal to Anti-Corruption Commission to Allow Their Students to Take National Exams

Meeting between the Korean Association of Medical Colleges and Medical Schools and the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission

Jeon Hyun-hee, Chairperson of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (second from right), delivers opening remarks at a medical community meeting regarding the additional national medical licensing exam request on the morning of the 6th at the Government Seoul Office in Sejong-daero, Jongno-gu. (Photo by Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission)

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] Deans of medical schools nationwide visited the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission on the 6th to request that 4th-year medical students be allowed to take the national medical licensing examination.

The Korea Association of Medical Colleges and Medical Schools (KAMC), composed of deans and directors from 40 medical colleges and medical graduate schools nationwide, held an emergency meeting at the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission that morning to address the issue of medical students not taking the national medical licensing exam.

Han Hee-cheol, chairman of KAMC and professor at Korea University College of Medicine, said, "We ask the public to kindly understand the concerns caused by our students' national exam issues," adding, "Since this is a national crisis due to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), we earnestly request the Commission, which functions as the People's Petition Office, to help us wisely overcome this national exam issue."

Han Jae-jin, dean of Ewha Womans University College of Medicine and Medical Graduate School, said, "As deans who bear the primary responsibility for training doctors, we feel an immense sense of responsibility that medical students have lost the opportunity to take the national exam and have not been able to promptly return to the educational field," adding, "If the re-examination for the clinical skills test is not conducted by the 16th of this month, there is a very high possibility that medical students will not be able to take the exam this year, which could cause an imbalance in the supply of doctors in hospitals next year, raising concerns about a medical service gap."

Jeon Hyun-hee, chairperson of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, said, "The issue of medical students' national exam requires public consensus," and urged, "I hope that medical school deans and senior medical professionals will persuade students to definitely take the written exam, which begins registration today."

She also stated, "As a central institution for resolving social conflicts, the Commission will carefully consider the opinions of the public, the medical community, and related organizations, and do its best to resolve the issue of medical students' national exam."

The day before, the National Medical Professors' Association and the chairpersons of the 25 district medical associations in Seoul applied to the Commission for collective complaint mediation to resolve the practical exam issues of the national medical licensing examination.

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