Seoul National University Student: "I Didn't Change My Major... I Could Have Gone to Medical School but Didn't"

Entry-Level Salary Range Varies from 30 Million to 100 Million KRW
Regarding "Current Major" vs Medical School Question... "I Could Have Gone but Didn't"

When asked about pursuing medical school, most current Seoul National University (SNU) students responded that they would "stick to their current major."

A student majoring in Western History at Seoul National University who said "I'm not very interested" when asked about entering medical school.
[Photo by YouTube 'Catch TV']

On the 24th, the YouTube channel 'Catch TV' uploaded a video titled "How Much Annual Salary Do You Want? (SNU)." The video features multiple students encountered on the SNU campus being asked about their desired annual salary or to choose between their current major and pre-medical studies. As of 9 a.m. on the 7th, the video had over 160,000 views and more than 1,200 likes.

The desired starting salary levels among SNU students varied widely, ranging from 30 million KRW to 100 million KRW. Student A, a senior in the Department of Economics, said, "I want to try working in accounting audit. I heard the starting salary for that job is around 60 to 70 million KRW." Student B, majoring in Mechanical Engineering, said, "I am considering going to graduate school and then working in a company or research position. If I get a PhD and then get a job, I think I could earn just under 100 million KRW." Other desired starting salaries were generally diverse, including ▲Department of Western Painting (30 to 40 million KRW) ▲Department of Nursing (40 million KRW) ▲Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Systems Engineering (40 to 50 million KRW) ▲Department of Aerospace Engineering (over 60 million KRW) ▲Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and Department of Physics and Astronomy (over 60 to 70 million KRW).

Some students did not specify exact figures. Student C, preparing to enter law school, said, "I plan to earn according to how hard I work," adding, "I would like to earn a lot, but I think how much I can grow and how much joy I can feel are important factors, so I did not mention specific numbers."

When asked, "If you could go back as an exam candidate and choose between SNU and medical school," most answered that they would choose their current major. Student D, majoring in Economics, said, "Of course, I would enter the Department of Economics," adding, "I’m not sure if I really need to go to medical school. I’m not very interested." Other students also responded with answers like, "I think I would enter the engineering college rather than medical school," and "I didn’t go even though I could have, so changing my career path to medical school would be strange." However, some students said, "I thought about it a lot," and "Many friends took a gap year to try medical school."

Netizens who watched the video responded with comments such as, "It’s really cool to say you could have gone to medical school but didn’t," "I support students who choose the life they want," "The desired salaries are realistic," and "They are not only good at studying but also have good character."

SNU Students Criticize Doctors’ Strike One After Another

Seoul National University students criticizing residents who went on strike against the expansion of medical school admissions.
[Photo by Seoul National University Everytime]

As residents have launched a collective strike opposing the expansion of medical school admissions, voices of criticism have been rising in online communities of SNU students. On the 20th of last month, an anonymous poster presumed to be an SNU student, E, wrote, "Those who are resigning now and holding lives hostage?weren’t they the ones who did medical volunteer work in high school saying they would go to medical school and wrote book reports on Schweitzer and Jang Gi-ryeo? These people who emphasized the value of life and the importance of service in their personal statements are now resigning and holding the lives of the public hostage. What they are doing is terrible. How are they any different from terrorists?" criticizing the residents who went on strike.

Another anonymous poster, F, also presumed to be an SNU student, sarcastically commented on the residents’ actions, saying, "Engineering students get their limbs tied and dragged out just for asking to restore the budget (R&D), but doctors are organizing collective actions and really act like the ruling elite."

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