Chairman of the Medical Education Evaluation Institute: "Increasing Medical School Admissions Requires Rational Discussion from a Long-Term Perspective"

The Barun Society Citizens' Association held an emergency forum on the 28th of last month

Medical professionals, medical school professors, and law faculty members have raised their voices, stating that discussions on expanding medical school quotas should be conducted rationally from a long-term perspective.

(From left) Wo Bong-sik, Director of Medical Policy Research Institute at the Korean Medical Association; Cho Dong-geun, Emeritus Professor of Economics at Myongji University; Park In-hwan, Professor at the College of Law, Konkuk University; Han Hee-chul, Chairman of the Korea Institute of Medical Education and Evaluation.
[Image source=Barun Society Citizens' Coalition]

The Barun Society Citizens' Meeting held an emergency forum titled "The Government and Medical Community Must Prevent Patient Harm with Rational Alternatives" on the 28th of last month at the Francisco Education Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, where they expressed these views.

Woo Bong-sik, Director of Medical Policy Research at the Korean Medical Association, stated based on the National Assembly Budget Office's fiscal projection report, "If the number of doctors increases by 2,000 annually, domestic medical expenses will rise by about 30 trillion won more than the existing estimate (386 trillion won) by 2040." He added, "If we increase medical school quotas without addressing internal issues such as the overreliance on residents in large hospitals, it will accelerate the collapse of the Korean medical system."

He further noted, "Beyond simply increasing medical school quotas, it is necessary to refer to Japan's related policies, which succeeded in responding to elderly medical expenses through strengthening the fee system and adjusting the medical delivery system."

Han Hee-cheol, Chair of the Korea Institute of Medical Education and Evaluation and Professor of Physiology at Korea University College of Medicine, emphasized, "The issue of increasing medical school quotas is not a confrontation between the government and the medical community." He added, "Contrary to the government's concern, this is not the 'last chance'." He argued, "A sudden increase of more than 10% in medical school quotas will inevitably be followed by a sharp reduction later, causing long-term social confusion."

He suggested that the medical school quotas should be adjusted flexibly and elastically from a long-term perspective, recommending a preliminary increase of about 10% (around 350 students) of the current quota (3,038 students), which the educational field can accommodate immediately, with subsequent plans to be calmly established.

He also proposed establishing a research and policy organization involving the government, medical community, and medical schools. Professor Han said, "By building independent governance to establish expansion plans, it will be possible to flexibly adjust medical school quotas at any time."

Concerns about the concentration of talent in science and engineering fields were also raised. Cho Dong-geun, Professor of Economics at Myongji University, said, "Since at least four times the number of applicants prepare for medical school entrance exams, increasing quotas by 2,000 means 8,000 students will prepare annually for medical school entrance." He added, "Increasing medical school quotas will become a 'sandbag' causing the leakage of manpower in advanced science and technology fields, which are future growth engines amid intensifying global technological hegemony competition." He urged, "The government, medical community, and academia should rationally consider an appropriate scale of expansion and propose a 'soft landing policy' to minimize medical disruption."