Meeting Minutes on 'Increasing Medical Students by 2,000' Show 4 Opposed out of 23 Members

Lim Hyun-taek, president of the Korean Medical Association, along with key attendees, are receiving questions from the press at the 'Press Conference on the Grounds and Process of Increasing Medical School Admission Quotas' held on the 13th at the Korean Medical Association in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

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The minutes of the Health and Medical Policy Deliberation Committee (HMPDC) meeting, where the 'increase of 2,000 medical school admissions' was decided, have been disclosed. While doctors believed that an increase of a few hundred would be sufficient, civic groups argued for an increase of up to 3,000, exceeding the government's proposal of 2,000. Among the 23 attending members, 4 opposed and 19 supported, leading to the final approval of the HMPDC.

According to the data released on the 13th, the agenda items for the HMPDC meeting held on February 6 included ▲ plans to expand medical school admission quotas ▲ promotion plans for essential medical policy packages ▲ and the second comprehensive plan for national health insurance.

Among these, the 'plan to expand medical school admission quotas' proposed increasing the current quota of 3,058 medical school admissions by 2,000 annually for five years starting from the 2025 academic year, thereby increasing the number of doctors by 10,000.

The HMPDC is a committee that deliberates on major health and medical policies under the Framework Act on Health and Medical Services. It consists of 6 representatives of providers such as medical associations, 6 representatives of consumers such as patient groups, 7 government officials, and 5 health and medical experts.

There was general consensus on the necessity of increasing medical school admissions, but opinions sharply diverged on the scale of the increase. Simply dividing into support and opposition, 4 out of 23 members opposed the increase of 2,000 medical school admissions, while the rest supported it. The 4 opposing members agreed with the increase itself but believed the scale should be significantly reduced.

One member, presumed to be a doctor, said, "An increase of 2,000 is very shocking and beyond the manageable range for our society," adding, "Increasing medical school quotas on such a large scale would be equivalent to creating more than 20 closed Seonam Medical Schools."

He continued, "It is expected to provoke strong opposition from residents, students, and all doctors, with a high possibility of expressing their will through strikes and collective leaves of absence," and argued, "The increase should be about 350 in 2025, at most double that to 700."

Another member also said, "I fully agree that a substantial increase is necessary, but 2,000 is too many," and added, "I think an increase of about 500 to 1,000 is appropriate."

There were also voices concerned about the decline in the quality of medical education. One member said, "If it's 2,000, I am quite worried whether each medical school can prepare for such an increase within one year this year."

Among the supporting members, some opinions suggested increasing the number to 3,000, exceeding the government's proposal. One member, presumed to be from a civic group, said, "2,000 is too low; at least 3,000 should be increased," and added, "I hope the government will conduct more thorough research on the numbers and gradually work toward a 3,000 increase."

Another member said, "Many have expressed the opinion that about 3,000 are needed, but the government's current plan to increase by 2,000 means they will monitor and adjust periodically, which I believe is sufficient preparation for rational supply and demand management," and voted in favor of the government proposal.

Another member said, "Everyone agrees on the increase, but I think it is actually too late," and added, "I truly sympathize with and agree on actively increasing admissions."

During the HMPDC meeting, there were also remarks expressing displeasure at the government bringing the 'increase of 2,000 medical school admissions' as an agenda unilaterally. One member said, "We have thought a lot about what would be an appropriate level of increase, and I also thought some increase was necessary," but pointed out, "It is difficult to comment without specific information on the number 2,000, and we need to consider whether this was just a symbolic large increase."

He continued, "The fact that the HMPDC announces unilaterally and only leads discussions means the HMPDC is meaningless," and questioned, "There is no discussion or opinion on this now, but after today's meeting, 2,000 will be announced. What meaning does the HMPDC have?"

In response, Minister Cho personally explained in detail the background of deciding the scale of the increase. Minister Cho said, "Let me explain where the number 2,000 came from," and added, "The government decided the scale of the medical school increase based on the 2035 medical supply and demand forecast." The government estimated that due to aging and increased medical demand, 10,000 doctors will be lacking by 2035, and an additional 5,000 doctors will be needed in medically vulnerable areas.

Minister Cho explained, "Out of the demand for 15,000 doctors, the plan is to secure 10,000 doctors by 2035 by increasing medical school quotas by 2,000," and said, "If 2,000 additional students enroll next year, they will graduate starting in 2031, allowing for the expansion of up to 10,000 doctors over five years until 2035."

Minister Cho also said, "Although 4 out of 23 members raised objections to the expansion of medical school quotas, I believe most agree," and asked the members, "If there are no other opinions, I intend to approve these three agenda items as proposed by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Any objections?"

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