'STEM Talent Shortage and Medical School Education Conditions', Medical School Expansion Emerges as Major Issue

"Medical School Concentration Worsens with Quota Expansion"
"Remember Educational Chaos from Seonam University Closure"

The concentration of outstanding science and engineering talents in medical schools and the educational conditions for medical students after the expansion of the quota have become the core issues in the controversy over increasing medical school quotas. At the Medical Issues Consultative Body meeting, discussions about education poured out, and officials from the Ministry of Education appeared for the first time.

Yang Dong-ho, Chairperson of the Gwangju Medical Association Delegates' Council (first from the left), is speaking at the 26th Medical Issues Council meeting held on the afternoon of the 24th at Conference House Dalgaebi in Jung-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

On the afternoon of the 24th, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korean Medical Association held the 26th meeting of the Medical Issues Consultative Body at Conference House Dalgaebi in Jung-gu, Seoul.

Yang Dong-ho, chairman of the Gwangju Medical Association Delegates and the head negotiator for the Korean Medical Association, opened the discussion by saying to Jo Jin-haeng, officer of the Talent Development Policy Division at the Ministry of Education, "Isn't it chaotic that all science and engineering students want to become doctors? It's tough because everyone wants to enter medical school, right? Our country is in big trouble. What if everyone becomes a doctor?" Jo briefly replied, "There are many concerns."

In fact, domestic university science and engineering departments are struggling to secure outstanding talents due to the preference for medical schools. Students are even giving up enrollment in contract departments that guarantee employment at the top domestic conglomerates after graduation. According to Jongro Academy on the 21st, the enrollment cancellation rate for Yonsei University's Department of System Semiconductor Engineering in the 2023 regular admissions was 130%. The cancellation rate for Korea University's Department of Semiconductor Engineering was 91.2%. Yonsei University has contracts with Samsung Electronics, and Korea University with SK Hynix. Lim Seong-ho, CEO of Jongro Academy, said, "As the concentration on medical schools occurs, top-tier university science and engineering departments are having difficulty securing outstanding talents," adding, "If the medical school quota expands, this phenomenon will inevitably worsen." It is known that even students at top science universities such as Seoul National University's College of Engineering and College of Natural Sciences, and KAIST are considering reapplying to medical schools through a gap year, creating a somewhat unsettled academic atmosphere.

There are also concerns that even if the medical school quota increases, the conditions for education are inadequate. Jeong Gyeong-sil, Director of Health and Medical Policy at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, said on the day, "We plan to discuss investments for high-quality medical education by inviting medical school students and Ministry of Education policy officials," adding, "We are well aware of students' concerns about whether the quality of medical education can be guaranteed if the medical school quota is increased in a short period." She continued, "We have confirmed the schools' active investment plans and willingness, and the government will also support the recruitment of competent professors through fostering national university hospitals and supporting health and medical R&D, and manage the quality of medical education by strengthening evaluation and accreditation."

However, Yang Dong-ho said, "The Korean Association of Medical Colleges (KAMC) believes that the current 40 medical schools should have at least a minimal increase in admission quotas for the 2025 academic year, despite the unclear conditions and financial investments for medical education and educational resources," adding, "Faculty responsible for basic medical education are already overwhelmed with the education of the current 40 medical schools. Experts in medical education are concerned about the deterioration of medical education due to the government's reckless push to expand medical school quotas."

He also said, "Simply increasing medical school quotas without specific educational reforms and improvements in training environments cannot increase essential medical services or reduce regional medical disparities," adding, "The Korean Medical Association requests the government to present plans and support measures that ensure the quality of medical education so that excellent doctors can be trained, and strongly urges the government to make careful decisions to establish proper medical school quota policies for the health of the people and the future of the nation."

In particular, Yang emphasized, "We must remember the great chaos that occurred at Jeonbuk National University College of Medicine and Wonkwang University College of Medicine, which took over the quota of Seonam University College of Medicine, which was closed in 2018." Jeonbuk National University College of Medicine and Wonkwang University College of Medicine suffered difficulties in 2018 when they took over Seonam University College of Medicine students and quotas after its closure. At that time, 345 students from Seonam Medical School were specially transferred to Wonkwang University College of Medicine, and 177 to Jeonbuk National University College of Medicine. The sudden increase caused problems such as ▲ cramped lecture room space ▲ lack of clinical skill facilities ▲ insufficient clinical practice ▲ shortage of professors ▲ shortage of residents compared to medical school quotas.

Additionally, the number of basic medical faculty members responsible for training doctors is also declining. According to KAMC's "Research on the Status of Medical School Professors and the Professor Performance Evaluation System," in 2022, the total number of basic medical faculty members nationwide was 1,418, averaging 35.5 per school. This is a decrease of over 10% from 1,582 and an average of 39.6 in 2018. Lee Jong-tae, director of KAMC's Policy Research Institute, pointed out, "Even if medical student quotas increase, the conditions for education are inadequate," adding, "There is an absolute shortage of basic medical professors. In 2022, the number of professors in seven basic medical subjects nationwide decreased by about 80 compared to 2018."