Medical Association Emergency Committee: "Medical School Expansion is a Policy Issue, Not Politics"... Refuses Political Mediation

"Concerns Over Aging Doctors Are Due to Ignoring Job Characteristics"
Nationwide Medical Rally Expected on the 3rd of Next Month... "Member Vote Next Week"

The Korean Medical Association Emergency Response Committee recently drew a line on the possibility of allying with some political circles opposing the expansion of medical school quotas by 2,000, stating, "The increase in medical school quotas is a policy issue, not a political issue." They rebutted the government's claim that an increase in medical school quotas is necessary due to the aging of doctors, saying it does not take into account the characteristics of the profession.

Joo Suho, Chairman of the Emergency Response Committee Public Relations Committee of the Korean Medical Association. / Photo by Choi Taewon peaceful1@

On the 22nd at 2 p.m., Joo Su-ho, the Korean Medical Association Emergency Response Committee's Public Relations Officer, said at a regular briefing held at the Korean Medical Association building in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, "The issue of increasing medical school quotas is a policy issue, so if it becomes a political issue, it cannot be resolved. We have no intention of accepting political mediation or politicization." Recently, Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, stated his willingness to mediate between the medical community and the government. However, Joo said, "If they say they want to hear sincere voices, such as why residents have no choice but to give up their dreams despite all the criticism, we can meet anytime."

Regarding the government's claim that an increase in medical school quotas is necessary due to the acceleration of doctor aging linked to an aging society, he rebutted, "They overlook the fact that doctors work until a much older age than the general retirement age of workers." He added, "Unlike general workers, doctors do not have a fixed retirement age, so they continue to work in their field as long as they are capable of daily life." He continued, "South Korea established many medical schools in the 1980s and 1990s, resulting in a proportion of active doctors in their 30s to 50s that is incomparable to other countries. This is why, even though the medical school quota has not increased beyond the 3,000 level, the growth rate of active doctors far exceeds the average of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)."

Criticism also arose that the government arbitrarily interpreted research results used as grounds for increasing medical school quotas. He said, "The reason the government claims these studies as grounds for increasing the quota by 2,000 is that if some parts of these studies are arbitrarily interpreted, they can be used as a basis for the current 2,000 increase. I think this is because there is a lack of evidence supporting the logic for increasing medical school quotas other than these studies."

Earlier that morning, Park Min-su, Vice Minister of Health and Welfare, said at a briefing of the 'Central Accident Response Headquarters for Medical Group Actions' held at the Government Sejong Complex, "National research institutions such as KDI, the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, and Seoul National University all presented that if medical school quotas are not increased, there will be a shortage of 10,000 doctors by 2035. However, medical organizations claim that the researchers of these studies did not directly suggest an increase of 2,000 but proposed other numbers."

Meanwhile, on the 25th, a nationwide emergency meeting and rally of medical representatives protesting the government's increase in medical school quotas will be held. The nationwide medical community rally is expected to take place on the 3rd of next month. According to the Korean Medical Association Emergency Response Committee, electronic voting among members regarding support or opposition to the nationwide rally is expected to begin as early as the 26th.