Medical School Deans' Association: "No Capacity to Admit 2,000 More... K Medical Education Set to Regress"

The Korean Association of Medical Colleges (KAMC) stated that if it cannot present grounds for expanding medical school quotas by 2,000 to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, it will demand the withdrawal of the policy. It also acknowledged and expressed regret for submitting an unreasonable desired increase scale to the education authorities last year.

Shin Chansu, Chairman of the Korea Association of Medical Colleges (KAMC), is announcing a statement from the deans of 40 medical colleges and graduate schools of medicine nationwide, affiliated with KAMC, regarding the government's increase in medical school admissions quotas on the afternoon of the 19th at Seoul National University College of Medicine in Jongno-gu, Seoul.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

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On the 19th at 4 p.m., KAMC announced this through a statement by the deans of 40 medical colleges and medical schools nationwide at Seoul National University College of Medicine in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Shin Chansu, chairman of KAMC, said, "The figure of 2,000 is not only vastly different from the 350 increase proposed by our association on January 9 for the 2025 academic year admissions, but also an impossible number to accommodate in a short period considering the educational conditions of 40 medical colleges and medical schools nationwide." He added, "The (physician) workforce supply and demand policy must be made cautiously based on long-term and scientific grounds looking 20 to 30 years ahead."

He continued, "If executed as per the government's original plan, it will cause a regression in the level of medical education in Korea, which has been raised to a world-class standard through decades of effort," and emphasized, "We are concerned that not only will the quality of education for incoming freshmen be compromised, but the effects of substandard education will also impact current students."

On the same day, KAMC held a meeting of the deans of 40 medical colleges and graduate schools and released a position statement containing four points. First, KAMC acknowledged and expressed regret for submitting an unreasonable desired increase scale to the education authorities during last year's demand survey led by the Ministry of Education, considering the actual educational conditions of each university (graduate school).

Second, it also stated that if the Ministry of Health and Welfare cannot provide grounds for expanding medical school quotas by 2,000, it will demand the withdrawal of the policy. Chairman Shin said, "After (withdrawal), we demand a legislative governance structure that allows for open dialogue with the medical community to readjust physician workforce plans under a long-term healthcare system establishment strategy and to regulate medical workforce supply and demand."

Third, before increasing medical school quotas, policies must first be presented to efficiently distribute essential medical resources already produced and to ensure that the increased workforce flows into essential medical fields. KAMC's position is that if a large-scale increase is pursued recklessly along with essential medical policy packages whose effectiveness is questioned, the expected policy effects will not be achieved and will clearly cause more problems in the future.

Lastly, KAMC also expressed the opinion that the demands of medical students are legitimate. Chairman Shin said, "We fully understand the sincerity and earnestness of students who think about the nation's century-long health and medical care future, and we believe their demands to the government are legitimate," adding, "We are deeply concerned about students submitting leave of absence requests as an active means of expressing their opinions." He further stated, "The deans of medical colleges will take all possible measures to ensure that their students do not suffer any unfair disadvantages under any circumstances."

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