[Reporter’s Notebook] Is the National Medical Licensing Exam Fair?

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] On the last day of the year, December 31, the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced a legislative notice to amend the Enforcement Decree of the Medical Service Act. The amendment includes a provision to shorten the 90-day prior announcement period before medical license examinations in crisis situations such as the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). Opinions on the amendment are being accepted until the 4th. Excluding holidays and weekends, the period for receiving opinions is only two days. Typically, a notice period of at least 40 days is given to democratically refine laws, but this was skipped due to urgency.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare had delayed decisions on handling the national medical licensing examination (Kuksi) by citing public consensus, i.e., public opinion. Although it was obvious that issues regarding the supply of medical personnel, including public health doctors, would arise, the ministry hesitated, saying "there is a plan." They seemed to endure the unprecedented shortage of doctors by adjusting health center and branch office duties, but now they say they will split the once-a-year exam into two sessions. The ministry insists that this is not giving a re-examination opportunity to those who refused last year's exam, but the exam targets are limited to those who did not take last year's exam.

The disaster-level situation, confusion at the field due to imbalance in doctor output, and the resulting threat to the public's right to health are not sudden issues. These were anticipated since last summer when most medical students refused the exam. The government also predicted a major resurgence of COVID-19 in winter, and it was clear what would happen if 3,000 rookie doctors were lacking in a year. Regardless of the faults of medical students who took leave and refused the exam, and many in the medical community who supported them, the ministry's situational judgment and response can only be seen as inadequate.

The ministry must have made the decision bearing the brunt of criticism, but the atmosphere is tense. Among those eligible for re-examination, there is much dissatisfaction about increasing public sector internships or having to retake the exam around next fall, about a year and a half later if they fail. Some feel overwhelmed by the preparation period of less than a month. About 400 medical students who took last year's exam despite unfavorable views around them fear they will be stigmatized and ostracized within the closed medical community going forward.

'Fairness of process' is one of the values the president emphasized since taking office. While the government's decision-making process may have been fair to the Ministry officials who must have wracked their brains or some in the medical community running large hospitals, it is not so for the majority of the public or the medical students at the center of the controversy.

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