No Residents in Pediatrics and Obstetrics at Honam University Hospitals Amid "Dermatology, Ophthalmology, Plastic Surgery" Popularity

Chonnam National University Hospital and Chosun University Hospital Fill 96% of Popular Specialty Positions
Only 10 Positions Filled in Pediatrics and Obstetrics and Gynecology
Chonbuk National University Hospital Achieves 100% Recruitment in Dermatology, Ophthalmology, and Plastic Surgery
Wonkwang University Hospital Fills Zero Positions in Pediatrics and Obstetrics and Gynecology

A significant number of residents who had left the hospital in protest of the medical school quota returned to work on the 1st. Yonhap News

Although the majority of residents who had left the field due to medical policy conflicts in February last year have returned after a year and six months, there are growing concerns about gaps in essential medical services at major hospitals in the Honam region. This is because residents are concentrated in popular specialties such as dermatology, ophthalmology, plastic surgery, orthopedics, rehabilitation medicine, and radiology, which are considered easier for opening private practices.

At some university hospitals, there are reports that not a single resident is working in less popular specialties such as pediatrics and obstetrics and gynecology, prompting urgent calls for institutional improvements.

According to the "2025 Second Half Resident Recruitment Results" announced by the Ministry of Health and Welfare on September 10, the recruitment rates for the so-called popular specialties-dermatology (89.9%), ophthalmology (91.9%), plastic surgery (89.4%), orthopedics (87.2%), rehabilitation medicine (89.5%), and radiology (91.5%)-reached 80-90%. Anesthesiology and pain medicine (90.7%) and psychiatry (93.5%) also exceeded 90%.

These specialties share the common characteristic of being favorable for opening private practices.

However, recruitment rates were low for essential but less popular specialties, known as internal medicine (64.9%), general surgery (36.8%), obstetrics and gynecology (48.2%), and pediatrics (13.4%). Emergency medicine (42.1%) and cardiothoracic surgery (21.9%) also had low recruitment rates. In particular, only 103 out of 770 available positions in pediatrics were filled, marking the lowest rate.

The trend of residents favoring popular specialties is especially pronounced in regional areas, heightening concerns about essential medical fields directly linked to public health. At Chonnam National University Hospital, a major hospital in Gwangju, 254 out of 389 positions were filled in this round of recruitment, including 108 interns, 101 first-year residents, and 180 senior residents. At Chosun University Hospital, 122 out of 159 positions were filled.

Looking at the recruitment numbers for popular specialties at these hospitals: Chonnam National University Hospital recruited 8 for dermatology (7 filled), 8 for ophthalmology (8 filled), and 4 for plastic surgery (4 filled). Chosun University Hospital recruited 2 for dermatology (3 filled), 6 for ophthalmology (5 filled), and 3 for plastic surgery (3 filled), resulting in a combined recruitment rate of 96.7%.

In contrast, pediatrics and obstetrics and gynecology saw much lower numbers: Chonnam National University Hospital filled 3 out of 16 positions in pediatrics and 4 out of 15 in obstetrics and gynecology. Chosun University Hospital filled 1 out of 9 positions in pediatrics and 2 out of 5 in obstetrics and gynecology.

The situation is similar at major hospitals in North Jeolla Province. Chonbuk National University Hospital recruited 208 residents for the second half, with 133 applicants and 125 ultimately accepted. Including those who returned earlier, 233 out of 283 positions are currently filled. Wonkwang University Hospital recruited 160 residents, filling more than half the positions with 86 residents.

At Chonbuk National University Hospital, dermatology (3 out of 3) and ophthalmology (6 out of 6) were fully filled. For plastic surgery, all positions were already filled by returning residents, so no additional recruitment took place. At Wonkwang University Hospital, about 80% of the available resident positions were filled.

On the other hand, only 2 out of 10 positions in pediatrics and 2 out of 6 in obstetrics and gynecology were filled at Chonbuk National University Hospital. A representative from the hospital said, "It has always been difficult to recruit for pediatrics, so we have continued care mainly with 16 specialists assigned to the department."

At Wonkwang University Hospital, not a single resident applied for pediatrics or obstetrics and gynecology. A hospital representative explained, "Even before the medical policy conflict, there were no residents in these departments. Since there were no residents in these specialties to begin with, it was difficult to fill the positions in this round of recruitment."

Regarding this issue, a university hospital official stated, "With the concentration of residents in the capital area and non-essential specialties, it is difficult to attract residents to essential specialties in regional areas. Institutional support is necessary for the operation of essential departments," adding, "Financial support such as easing legal liability for medical accidents and increasing allowances and reimbursement rates for residents in essential specialties is needed."

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