Medical Students Face Tough Road as Many Oppose and They Haven't Directly Expressed Taking the National Medical Licensing Exam
[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jeong] As fourth-year medical students nationwide have decided to temporarily suspend their collective action opposing government policies, the medical community's general strike is entering a phase of resolution. However, since the medical licensing exam has already begun, the government faces deep deliberation over how to provide relief measures for the medical students. This is because the fourth-year medical students have not explicitly stated their intention to take the exam, and public opposition to the students refusing the exam is considerable.
Representatives of fourth-year students taking the national medical licensing exam from 40 medical schools and medical graduate schools nationwide issued a joint statement on the 13th, announcing the temporary suspension of their collective action opposing government policies. They said, "We will announce our future course of action after further discussion," and took an ambiguous stance on taking the exam, adding, "We will not comment further beyond the term 'suspension' of collective action or the statement."
They emphasized, "It was clear that the hastily pushed policies without consulting medical experts would ultimately lead to a decline in the quality of medical care and threaten the public's right to health," and "Our commitment to 'right values and proper medical care,' which was the reason for initiating collective action, remains unchanged." They also stated, "We will watch with senior doctors whether the government reexamines the relevant bill and implements medical policies for the people," and warned, "If the government and the National Assembly forcibly implement flawed medical policies, we will resume collective action."
◆Suspension of collective action means taking the exam? Ambiguous stance= In the medical community, since the fourth-year students had adopted refusal of the national medical licensing exam as a form of collective action, the suspension of collective action is interpreted as implying withdrawal of exam refusal and participation in the exam. The Korean Intern Resident Association (KIRA) Emergency Committee also expressed support for the medical students' decision in a statement on the same day. The KIRA Emergency Committee said, "We are infinitely grateful that the student doctors temporarily suspended collective action and returned to their positions, actively supporting the Emergency Committee and its future plans."
The change in the medical students' collective action was triggered by the voting results of the Seoul National University Medical Student Council on the 9th. Among 884 enrolled students at Seoul National University College of Medicine, 70.5% opposed continuing collective action such as strike leave and refusal to take the exam. Among fourth-year students who must take the exam immediately, opposition was even higher at 81%.
The Korean Medical Students Association (KMSA), representing medical students, decided on the 6th to maintain the refusal of the national medical licensing exam, but as similar movements arose at other universities, they held an emergency meeting on the 9th to continue discussions on future collective directions. At this meeting, voices advocating withdrawal of exam refusal centered on fourth-year students emerged, but some medical students from other universities maintained their refusal stance, preventing a unified voice.
As internal disagreements continued and students could not make a decision, professors concerned about collective academic failure voiced their opinions. On the 10th, the Korean Association of Medical School Professors (KAMSP) issued a statement requesting the government to provide an exit for the students. KAMSP warned, "The problems arising from the failure to properly conduct the licensing exam are significant both in the short and long term, and the government is responsible for all these issues," and urged, "According to the medical-government agreement, the government must conduct a proper additional exam."
However, even if medical students intend to take the exam, the overwhelming public opposition makes the feasibility uncertain. On the Blue House's public petition board, a post titled "Opposition to subsequent relief for medical students who canceled their exam registration" has been posted, and as of 3 p.m. on the day, over 550,000 people have agreed.
◆Heated debate over relief for medical students= The political debate over relief for medical students is also intense. On the 12th, Lee Jae-myung, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, stated that, in principle, relief should not be allowed for medical students refusing the national medical licensing exam. In a Facebook post, he said, "Demanding rights and opportunities that were given up as a means of struggle to protect interests again is an unfair special privilege," and added, "It sends a wrong signal that if you have power, you can violate laws and common sense and receive special treatment and exceptions, effectively allowing privileged classes prohibited by the Constitution." He emphasized, "Even when exceptions are inevitably allowed considering students, it should be limited to cases where sufficient reflection and apology make it acceptable to public sentiment, and under no circumstances should we yield to struggle and pressure."
Following the Korean Medical Association and resident doctors, even medical professors have demanded relief measures for medical students, and with the students deciding to suspend collective action, the government is inevitably plunged into deep deliberation. The Ministry of Health and Welfare has maintained a difficult stance, saying, "Since the national exam is taken by many professions and qualifications, additional registration would violate fairness and equity toward others." They also added that proposing relief measures without the students explicitly expressing their intention to take the exam is unreasonable. A ruling party official said on the day, "There is strong public opposition to medical students refusing the exam, so even if the students declare their intention to take the exam, it is uncertain whether relief will be possible," and "There are no concrete political moves on this matter yet."
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