"35-Year-Old Specialist's 400 Million Won Annual Salary 'Excessive' Remark... 'Professor!' Targeted Ad Released by Medical Association"

Kim Yoon to Appear on MBC's '100 Minutes Debate' on the 20th
"Lower Doctors' Income to Solve Medical Crisis" Claim
Medical Association Responds with Targeted Advertisement

"Because there is a shortage of doctors, salaries are high."

A professor at Seoul National University College of Medicine has sparked controversy by arguing that doctors' salaries are high due to a shortage of doctors, and that increasing the number of medical students through government policy to reduce doctors' income could solve the medical crisis. The Korean Medical Association (KMA) published an advertisement in a domestic daily newspaper that seemed to 'target' the professor, with the phrase, "Professor! Do you know why your students are like this?"

Professor Kim Yoon from the Department of Medical Management, Seoul National University College of Medicine (left), and an advertisement of the Korean Medical Association published in a domestic daily newspaper [Photo source=MBC '100 Minutes Debate' capture / Yonhap News]

On the 20th, Kim Yoon, a professor in the Department of Medical Management at Seoul National University College of Medicine, appeared on MBC’s ‘100-Minute Debate’ and said, "The annual salary of employed doctors at general hospitals, which was just over 200 million won in 2019, has recently risen to 300 to 400 million won," adding, "This is because supply is insufficient." He continued, "Residents at university hospitals work 80 hours. Would they work 80 hours if there were no shortage of doctors?" He pointed out, "University hospitals employ nearly 20,000 PA (Physician Assistant) nursing staff as clinical support personnel. Would such a situation occur if there were no shortage of doctors?"

Regarding the claim that "the government's policy to increase medical student intake by 2,000 will attract excellent talent from science and engineering fields to the medical sector, causing national damage," Professor Kim also criticized, saying it is "because doctors’ salaries are high." He said, "In Korea, after graduating from medical school, completing a specialty, and serving in the military, one is around 35 years old. The salary for a specialist at age 34 is 300 to 400 million won," and added, "On the other hand, if one enters a non-medical university and joins a large corporation, the salary for a manager at age 35 is just over 100 million won." He further stated, "If you studied hard and joined a large company but can only earn 100 million won, naturally anyone would want to go to medical school."

He went on to say, "The fundamental reason for the concentration on medical schools is that doctors’ income is overwhelmingly higher compared to choosing other professions," and argued, "The fundamental solution to the concentration problem is to lower doctors’ income to an appropriate level through increasing medical student intake."

However, Professor Kim agreed that increasing medical student intake alone would not solve all problems, but also claimed that the current essential medical measures announced by the government include solutions.

Meanwhile, on the 21st, the KMA ran an advertisement on the front page of a domestic daily newspaper with the phrase, "Professor! Do you know why your students are like this?" to promote opposition to the increase in medical student intake. The advertisement did not specifically mention the professor’s name. However, Joo Suho, the KMA Emergency Committee’s Public Relations Officer, hinted at the professor being targeted by saying in a press briefing that "when discussing the advertisement, the name of Kim Yoon, a professor at Seoul National University College of Medicine who supports increasing medical student intake, was mentioned."

In the advertisement, the KMA stated, "Residents have endured heavy labor with the hope that they can open their own clinics once they become specialists, but the reality is harsh," and revealed, "Over the past 20 years, the number of doctors and patients at tertiary hospitals has increased, but outpatient visits at clinic level have decreased by 35%, and 6,277 clinics have removed their specialty signs due to lack of patients in their specialty." They also explained the reason for collective action, saying, "Residents are quitting training as soon as possible to settle down."