High Resignation Rates Among Residents in Essential Departments Such as Thoracic Surgery and Obstetrics & Gynecology

As of mid-July, 92% of interns and residents have not returned to the field
223 professors left 14 national university hospitals in the first half of the year

As the collective resignation crisis of medical residents triggered by the expansion of medical school quotas prolongs, it has been revealed that the resignation rates of residents in essential medical fields such as thoracic surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, and pediatrics are higher than the average. Resignations among professors at regional national university hospitals have also significantly increased.

According to the resignation status data of medical residents submitted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare to Kim Yoon, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, as of July 18, out of a total of 13,531 interns and residents nationwide, 12,380 (91.5%) did not return to their posts. Among those who did not return, 56.5% clearly expressed their intention to resign, while 34.9% were on hold without clearly stating whether they would return or resign.

By specialty, the highest resignation rate was in radiation oncology, with 75% (45 out of 60) resigning. This was followed by thoracic surgery at 62.6%, obstetrics and gynecology at 61.2%, and pediatrics at 59.7%, confirming that resignation rates are high in less preferred specialties.

Among 4,065 professors at national university hospitals nationwide in the first half of this year, 223 resigned, accounting for nearly 80% of all resignations in 2023. Compared to the previous year, the resignation rate was highest at Kangwon National University Hospital at 150%, followed by Chungnam National University Hospital (branch) at 125%, and Gyeongsang National University Hospital (branch) at 110%.

Rep. Kim stated, "Considering the non-return of residents and the departure of professors from national university hospitals, the medical gap for essential patients including critically ill, emergency, and rare disease patients has become a foregone conclusion," adding, "The government should not just wait for medical staff to return but must face reality and immediately create measures to minimize the medical gap."

He continued, "The government must promptly present a concrete blueprint to create a medical environment where essential medical personnel no longer leave university hospitals, ensuring work-life balance and appropriate compensation for those choosing essential medical fields, and relieving them from the burden of medical accidents."

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