With a Large Increase in Regional Medical School Admissions...The Era of 'Jibang Yuhak' Instead of Daechidong Begins

With the expansion of medical school quotas next year, mainly in non-metropolitan areas, the era of studying away from home in provincial regions is expected to begin in earnest.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the education sector on the 26th, 40 medical schools will select 4,567 students for the 2025 academic year, an increase of 1,509 from before. All of the increased quotas have been allocated to provincial medical schools outside the metropolitan area and metropolitan medical schools excluding Seoul. Along with the increase, the government has recommended that provincial medical schools select more than 60% of their students through regional talent admission tracks. As a result, the number of students admitted through regional talent tracks at provincial medical schools will approach 2,000.

As it is expected to become easier to enter medical schools in non-metropolitan areas, studying away from home in provincial regions, where children are sent from an early age to prepare for medical school admission, is likely to become a new trend in college entrance exams. The perception that one must move to Daechi-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, the center of private education, to send children to top-tier universities like medical schools is changing.

Parents who want to move from Seoul to non-metropolitan areas are also emerging. Im Seong-ho, CEO of Jongro Academy, said, "There are parents asking whether it is better to move from Gangnam area in Seoul to Gangwon or Chungcheong," adding, "Especially, many parents living in the Gyeonggi area adjacent to the Chungcheong region have made concrete plans for moving."

Students with grades high enough to enter Seoul National University and other top universities are now turning their attention to regional medical schools. Previously, it was common for high-performing students to enter so-called 'In-Seoul' universities, but in the future, admission to non-metropolitan medical schools may become more common. With the expansion of regional talent admission tracks, there is also an assessment that students who previously did not consider medical school admission can now challenge themselves to enter medical schools. It is also estimated that a significant number of students will try again to enter medical schools through re-taking the exam or repeating a year.

In non-metropolitan academies, the number of students aiming to enter medical schools is expected to increase, and they are focusing on securing instructors. A representative of a re-taking academy in Cheongju said, "We are actively promoting by holding medical school entrance exam briefing sessions and distributing academy pamphlets in front of schools."