Only 350 Medical School Increases? Gyeongnam Province Says "Far Insufficient for Medical Demand"

"Merely Restoring Reduced Personnel, Fails to Reflect Actual Conditions"

"An increase of 350 medical school admissions is insufficient to resolve the shortage of regional doctors."

Gyeongsangnam-do Province expressed opposition to the Korean Association of Medical Colleges (KAMC)'s announcement on the scale of medical school quota expansion.

The association announced on the 9th that an increase of 350 medical school admissions next year would be appropriate.

Gyeongsangnam-do pointed out that the scale deemed appropriate by the association merely restores the reduction made during the 2000 separation of prescribing and dispensing of medicines.

They also stated that the association failed to sufficiently consider the reality where medical demand has surged compared to the time of reduction due to population aging and concentration of specialists in the metropolitan area, threatening essential medical systems such as emergency medicine and pediatrics in regional medical sites.

At the National Assembly Hall 3rd Seminar Room on November 1, 2023, during the National Assembly forum on the establishment of the Changwon Special City Medical School, Governor Park Wan-su (front row, left of center) and Mayor Hong Nam-pyo of Changwon (right of center) urged the establishment of a new medical school in the Changwon area. [Photo by Gyeongnam Provincial Government]

The province said, "The association's announcement does not reflect the actual shortage of regional medical personnel," and argued, "Since the fundamental purpose of expanding medical school quotas is to provide better medical services to the public, the quota scale must be determined considering the realities of regional healthcare."

They emphasized, "Since the 40 medical schools have already submitted feasible demands for quota increases, bold expansion should be made considering this."

Each medical school added that in the Ministry of Health and Welfare's survey on medical school admission quota demand, they hoped to increase admissions by at least 2,151 to a maximum of 2,847 by 2025, and by 3,953 by 2030.

According to the province, the number of doctors in Gyeongsangnam-do, where 3.3 million people live, is 174.2 per 100,000 population, significantly below the national average of 218.4.

The number of specialists in essential medical fields is also lower than the national average: pediatrics specialists number 11.5 compared to 12.1 nationwide, obstetrics and gynecology specialists 9.3 compared to 11.7, and emergency medicine specialists 3.8 compared to 4.2.

In a public opinion survey conducted by the province in November last year, more than half of the residents, 56.4%, responded that there is a shortage of doctors.

To address this, 90% responded that the existing medical school quotas should be increased, and 84.4% said new medical schools should be established.

The province has set the establishment of new medical schools and expansion of medical personnel as administrative tasks to resolve regional medical imbalance, demanding that the quota at Gyeongsang National University, the only medical school in the province, be increased from the current 76 to 150 next year, and over 200 in the future.

In Changwon Special City, a non-metropolitan city with a population over one million that lacks medical-related universities such as medical, dental, Korean medicine, and pharmacy schools, the province is urging the establishment of a medical school with a quota of over 100 students.

Park Ildong, Director of the Health and Medical Bureau, said, "The shortage of regional doctors is threatening essential local medical systems," and added, "We will strive to establish medical schools and expand quotas in the province to reflect residents' aspirations for quality medical services."

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