Medical professors begin tendering resignations en masse

Social Affairs

Published: 25 Mar. 2024, 18:35

Medical professors begin tendering resignations en masse

Medical professors of Korea University submit their resignations at a general assembly at its Anam Hospital in central Seoul on Monday morning. [YONHAP]

Hundreds of medical professors began tendering their resignations en masse on Monday in support of junior doctors, despite President Yoon Suk Yeol ordering “closer communication" with health care professionals.

A nationwide coalition of emergency professorial committees at medical schools — a united front of professors at 19 of the country's 40 schools — issued a statement on Monday declaring that the educators were "filing their resignations."

“The government’s medical reform is a change for the worse,” the medical professors’ coalition said, arguing that the "arrogant move" to hike medical school admissions by 2,000 seats "gives little account to people’s lives and safety.”

It also urged the government to “cancel” the quota increase and “arrange genuine talks" between the government and medical professionals.

Professors’ verbal warnings are now turning into formal actions, a move generating further anxiety among patients after several weeks of medical care disruptions since Feb. 20.

Some 433 of the 767 medical professors at the University of Ulsan turned in their resignations, according to the statement by the professors' committee.

Of 233 medical professors at Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, 93 had submitted resignations as of Monday morning.

Medical professors from Korea University at Anam, Ansan and Guro hospitals filed their resignations en masse after a joint virtual assembly on the same day.

Professors at Yonsei University’s College of Medicine planned to hand in their resignations to the dean at 6 p.m. on Monday.

The scale of resignations is anticipated to grow as Monday is the first day medical professors have taken such collective actions.

A patient is transferred by paramedics to an emergency room at a secondary care hospital in downtown Seoul on Monday morning. [YONHAP]

Another medical professors’ group, the Medical Professors Association of Korea, warned on the same day that punishing junior doctors would catalyze the resignations of professors and collapse the country’s medical system. It attributed today’s deadlock to “governmental coercion and mockery toward medical professionals.”

The group had a private talk with the conservative People Power Party’s (PPP) interim leader, Han Dong-hoon, on Sunday.

The occupational group said the 2,000-seat hike would destroy medical education.

“The 2,000-seat increase is non-manageable" from the perspective of each medical school, said Kim Chang-soo, the group's president.

He said the number of seats to be added was unrealistic, adding that creating a situation where medical students cannot receive appropriate education and training was a dealbreaker.

“It is hard to set definite seat quantities for the expansion [now]. However, it is due process to announce how many seats to add when the academic environment is prepared. That’s why the medical sector is now calling the government to scrap the current expansion scheme.”

Kim said that scrapping the plan was not a call for a zero-seat increase.

“An admission expansion based on scientific facts and current educational conditions could be welcomed by the medical sector and health care professionals,” Kim said.

Education Minister Lee Ju-ho, on the same day, expressed his regret over professors’ collective action, saying it is “disappointing” to see professors who are supposed to protect the people’s health and safety leaving their posts during his visit to Gyeongsang National University.

The university will add 124 new seats to its current enrollment of 76, becoming one of the largest medical schools in the nation with 200 seats.

Earlier Monday, Yoon instructed Prime Minister Han Duck-soo to “communicate more closely with the medical community" regarding the government's medical reform plans.

Regarding his talk with medical professors on Sunday, PPP leader Han said Monday that the trajectory between the medical industry and the government could have a "new beginning." He also volunteered to act as a "mediator enabling a constructive conversation."

BY LEE SOO-JUNG [lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr]