Medical Community Visits Anti-Corruption Commission to Request "Prompt Resolution of National Medical Licensing Exam Issues"

Expert: "COVID-19 National Crisis... If Doctors Are Not Trained, Public Health Is at Risk"

Chairperson Jeon Hyun-hee of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission held a meeting on October 8 at the Government Complex Seoul in Jongno-gu, Seoul, regarding the issue of medical students not taking the national medical licensing exam during the COVID-19 crisis. Attendees included Kim Young-hoon, Director of Korea University Medical Center; Kim Yeon-soo, Director of Seoul National University Hospital; Yoon Dong-seop, Director of Yonsei University Medical Center; and Kim Young-mo, Director of Inha University Medical Center. The medical center and hospital directors requested that medical students be given another opportunity to retake the national medical licensing exam. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] Medical experts in infection and prevention met with Jeon Hyun-hee, Chairperson of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, on the 23rd and urged her to resolve the issue of the national medical licensing examination, stating, "If doctors are not produced amid the national crisis caused by the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), it will cause a major crisis to the medical system and public health."

The meeting was attended by Han Hee-cheol, Chairman of the Korea Association of Medical Colleges and Graduate Schools of Medicine; Shin Chan-soo, Dean of Seoul National University College of Medicine; Yoo Dae-hyun, Dean of Yonsei University College of Medicine; Kim Woo-joo, Professor of Infectious Diseases at Korea University College of Medicine; and Choi Jae-wook, Chairman of the Scientific Verification Committee of the Korean Medical Association and Professor of Preventive Medicine at Korea University College of Medicine.

The medical experts attending the meeting said, "As COVID-19 continues to spread, the number of severe patients is increasing, but hospital beds and medical personnel are severely lacking," adding, "If about 2,700 new medical personnel are not produced next year, it will be difficult to supply interns to more than 100 regional training hospitals and to assign public health doctors to 1,340 public health centers and health sub-centers, which is expected to lead to the collapse of the regional medical system."

They predicted, "The medical gap caused by the failure to produce new doctors will not end in one year but will continue for more than 10 years, adversely affecting the medical personnel supply system and public health."

They also expressed concern about secondary damage, saying, "As all beds and personnel are concentrated on treating COVID-19 patients, non-COVID severe patients who require continuous treatment and chronic patients from vulnerable groups relying on public healthcare are unable to receive timely treatment," emphasizing that "urgent measures are needed."

According to the "Survey on the Supply Status and Problems of Interns and Public Health Doctors" conducted by the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission targeting regional medical university hospitals and public health centers nationwide, among 2,748 public health doctors next year, 780 (28.7%) will complete their service period. Regional university hospitals are currently facing a situation where resident doctors are performing intern duties due to a shortage of residents.

The experts requested, "In this national crisis where COVID-19 continues to spread, securing medical personnel is as important as securing hospital beds to protect public health," and added, "We hope the issue of the medical licensing examination will be resolved from a magnanimous perspective to ensure the smooth supply of medical personnel."

Jeon Hyun-hee, Chairperson of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, said, "The various expert opinions to prevent confusion in the medical field and protect public health will help wisely overcome the issue of the medical licensing examination," and added, "I hope the concerns of the medical community will be sufficiently communicated to the public and government to form a consensus and that the issue of the medical licensing examination will be resolved."

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