Doctors urge universities to delay publication of medical school admission hikes

Social Affairs

Published: 27 May. 2024, 17:31

Doctors urge universities to delay publication of medical school admission hikes

Prof. Cho Yun-jung from Korea University’s College of Medicine speaks during a joint press conference hosted by the Korean Medical Association and Medical Professors Association of Korea on Monday in Yongsan District, central Seoul. The banner behind the professor says that the press conference aims to "block the destruction of medical education." [NEWS1]

Medical professors and doctors on Monday asked universities to postpone the announcement of detailed admissions plans until the nation’s top court rules on the legitimacy of the medical recruitment expansion.

The Korean Medical Association and Medical Professors Association of Korea said they would await and accept the Supreme Court’s decision during their joint press conference on the same day.

Doctors argued that the Supreme Court's ruling should come before universities post their admissions plans, slated to be made public on Friday. Otherwise, they said, the publication of admissions plans should be delayed.

After an appellate court turned down doctors' and medical students’ injunction request to halt the expansion of the medical school admissions quota earlier this month, the plaintiffs appealed again to the Supreme Court.

An attorney representing the plaintiffs, Lee Byung-cheol, faulted the appellate court for "improper" procedures, including during its questioning and hearings during the trial, arguing that this imbues the Supreme Court's coming decision with “higher significance.”

Lee also vowed to "respect" the top court’s verdict as the constitution stipulates that “the Supreme Court has and exercises utmost authority” to rule on the validity of the government’s administrative measures and policies.

“The Supreme Court should mandate that governmental ministries freeze all their undertakings until its ruling comes out,” said Prof. Cho Yun-jung from Korea University’s College of Medicine in the press conference. Cho is also in charge of public relations in the medical professors' group.

Cho said the country "should prevent a situation where medical schools are falling apart" to "safeguard public health and interests." Her remarks seem to address medical schools' concerns over potentially accepting more students than they can handle.

The professor blamed the government’s decision in February for the current "chaos." She said the government "rushed" to implement the quota hike by announcing its plan eight months before admissions for the 2025 academic year begin.

Medical students from Jeju National University in Jeju Island on Monday picket in front of a meeting hall where college board members are set to vote on a motion to revise the university's academic code and reflect the increased admissions quota. [YONHAP]

On the same day, the government said it “accomplished” the enrollment increase in medical schools for the first time in 27 years based on “public support.”

The government's remarks appear to reject doctors’ argument that the quota hike is unjustified until the Supreme Court makes its decision.

"The Korean health care system will leap forward through medical reform, which includes the seat additions at medical schools," Deputy Health Minister Jun Byung-wang said during Monday’s briefing at Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters.

The minister said reform "is always accompanied by conflicts of interests,” adding that the country will try its best to resolve the standoff between the government and doctors.

Jun also urged junior doctors to return to their training hospitals “to restore trust with patients,” promising to incorporate the voices of medical students and junior doctors as a “priority” in improving health policies.

The Education Ministry on Monday said it requested a police investigation into allegations that three medical schools coerced students to submit applications for leaves of absence and to boycott classes to protest the quota increase.

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