[Jeonnam National University Hospital News] Intern Quota Fully Filled for the First Time in 10 Years... Expectation for Improved Medical Services

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Jeonnam National University Hospital has attracted attention by filling its intern quota for the first time in over 10 years through a revolutionary change in its recruitment system emphasizing fairness.

While some large hospitals in the metropolitan area are recently experiencing intern shortages, it is considered unusual for a regional university hospital to fill its intern quota.

This change is having a positive impact within the region as it can help improve the quality of local medical services, including an increase in applicants for less popular specialties.

According to Jeonnam National University Hospital (Director Ahn Young-geun) on the 6th, 96 applicants applied for 91 intern positions in 2022, showing a competition ratio of 1.05:1.

Not only was the quota fully filled, but for the first time, all 12 intern positions were filled and dispatched to four affiliated hospitals: ▲Suncheon St. Carollo Hospital ▲Mokpo Central Hospital ▲Yeosu Jeonnam Hospital ▲Yeocheon Jeonnam Hospital.

The biggest factor behind this result was the introduction of an innovative recruitment system that boldly broke the existing framework during the intern hiring process, as well as a professional and systematic training system.

The most significant cause among these was the externalization of interview panel members.

Since the 2021 resident recruitment interviews, Jeonnam National University Hospital appointed three out of five interviewers as professors from medical schools of other universities.

Previously, all five were professors from Jeonnam National University College of Medicine, but from last year, more than half of the interviewers were from other universities to enhance fairness and transparency. Jeonnam National University Hospital was the first among national university hospitals nationwide to appoint external interviewers.

Joo Jae-gyun, Director of the Education and Training Office (Surgery Professor), said, “After conducting interviews through various channels such as surveys with interns and residents, it was clear that the recruitment system needed to be reviewed. The appointment of external interviewers for strictly merit-based selection was the first step toward innovating the recruitment system.”

In fact, the appointment of external interviewers during resident selection influenced intern recruitment.

Last year, among 87 interns selected, only 10 (11.5%) were from other medical schools, but this year, 22 out of 91 (24.2%) were from other universities, more than doubling. The guaranteed fair recruitment of residents led to a surge in intern applications from other universities.

Moreover, improvements in working conditions and facilities for interns and residents by the Education and Training Office at Jeonnam National University Hospital also played a key role. Through individual interviews and surveys, they were able to actively change training environment programs to meet the demands of the MZ generation as well as improvement directions.

Director Ahn Young-geun said, “It is very encouraging that changes in the recruitment system have led to an increase in applications from interns and residents, which can even change the medical service environment in the region. We hope that the increase in interns at affiliated hospitals in not only Gwangju but also the Jeonnam region will lead to a virtuous cycle of expanding medical quality in island areas.”

◆ Professor Jeong Myung-ho Surpasses 80,000 Registrations in Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry Study

Professor Jeong Myung-ho of the Department of Cardiology at Jeonnam National University Hospital, the principal investigator of the Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry (KAMIR), has surpassed 80,000 registered patients.

The registry study, which began in 2005 as a 50th anniversary project of the Korean Society of Cardiology, set a new record three years and four months after reaching 70,000 patients in October 2018.

The Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry researches prevention, diagnosis, and treatment methods of acute myocardial infarction tailored to Korean circumstances. Its research results have been consistently published in world-renowned journals such as JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association), JACC (Journal of the American College of Cardiology), Circulation (American Heart Association journal), and BMJ (British Medical Journal).

Through this research project, a total of 355 papers (326 SCI papers) have been published in domestic and international journals, recording world-class research achievements. Over 80,000 myocardial infarction patients have been registered from more than 40 university hospitals nationwide, enabling diverse and high-level research.

Notably, in 2016, a textbook on myocardial infarction was published. In 2020, an Expert Consensus on drug treatment for Korean acute myocardial infarction patients was released, followed by an expert consensus on interventional treatment methods in 2021. This year, a revised edition of the myocardial infarction textbook is scheduled for publication.

Due to these systematic research achievements, collaborative research proposals have been received from Asian countries such as Japan and China, leading to joint research and symposiums. Active exchanges are also ongoing with the United States, the United Kingdom, Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia.

Professor Jeong said, “Through the registry study project, we will not only elevate the international status of the Korean Society of Cardiology and Jeonnam National University Hospital but also greatly contribute to the development of prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation methods for Korean myocardial infarction patients.”

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