500 Residents Who Left Hospitals Flocked to Dermatology and Plastic Surgery Lecture Halls

2024 Hanguk Pibu Bimanseonghyeong Hakhoe Academic Conference Held
Among 1400 Registered Participants, 500 Are Residents
Concerns Rise Over Residents Leaving Specialties Like Aesthetics

Two months after residents collectively resigned in protest against the government's plan to increase medical school quotas by 2,000, it has been reported that hundreds of residents who left hospitals attended a dermatology and plastic surgery-related conference.

Medical staff are moving in a large hospital in Seoul.
Photo by Kang Jin-hyung, Asia Economy

On the 28th, Chosun Ilbo reported that the Spring Academic Conference of the Korean Society of Dermatology, Obesity, and Plastic Surgery was held at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, in the afternoon. Approximately 1,400 doctors registered to participate in the conference, of whom about 500 were residents. This academic conference is held annually, and last year’s attendance was around 1,000. The number of participants increased by about 400 in just one year. Unlike previous years, when mostly general practitioners interested in cosmetic procedures attended, this year saw a significant increase in resident participation.

The conference featured about 80 booths, which doctors visited to check in by scanning QR codes on their name tags. This was to participate in a raffle event where visitors who checked in at all booths could win beauty devices, luxury bags, cosmetics, and other prizes. Additionally, all attendees were given department store gift certificates worth 30,000 KRW.

This phenomenon has raised concerns within the medical community about residents drifting toward fields like aesthetics. On a doctor-only community that requires medical license verification for membership, a post titled "Doctors practicing aesthetic general practice should have their medical licenses revoked" has drawn attention. The verified author, A, stated, "What kind of doctor just shoots lasers and injects Botox?" and added, "Other specialties are judged by whether they are skilled or not, but who judges dermatological aesthetics like that? They should be forced to change their certification to aesthetic practitioners." On the other hand, another verified user, B, countered, "Why else would they be moving into the aesthetic market?" and said, "Many gave up training out of exhaustion from the deepening conflict between the medical community and the government. Everyone had a heavy expression at the academic conference."

Another verified user, C, commented, "The reason for the shortage of doctors in essential medical fields is that it is not profitable and too demanding, so doctors avoid those areas." He added, "Most of these doctors are not going into aesthetics but into minor specialties (such as plastic surgery, dermatology, orthopedics, neurosurgery, otolaryngology, etc.). Even if they fail the highly competitive selection process several times, they apply to minor specialties and repeatedly try again, like retaking university entrance exams multiple times." He continued, "Among those who fail, men go to the military, and women, having nothing to do for a year, temporarily enter fields like aesthetics or pain management that general practitioners can handle." He concluded, "While the aesthetic market may contribute to the shortage of doctors in essential medical fields, the greater factor is the strong preference for non-essential specialties."

A nurse is moving busily at a university hospital in Seoul.
Photo by Kang Jin-hyung, Asia Economy

Meanwhile, despite the accelerating medical crisis, organizations such as the Korean Medical Association continue to demand a complete reconsideration of the medical school quota increase. Im Hyun-taek, the next president of the Medical Association, stated, "If the government does not cancel the quota increase, the medical community will not move an inch and will not engage in any negotiations," maintaining a hardline stance. Starting this week, professors at major university hospitals will begin one day off per week. Seoul National University Hospital and Severance Hospital will be closed on Tuesday, the 30th of this month, while Asan Medical Center and Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital will be closed on Friday, the 3rd of next month. Professors at Samsung Medical Center have agreed to take one random day off without clinical duties or surgeries.

Medical schools nationwide attempted to start classes earlier this month to prevent a collective unpaid leave crisis, but most failed to begin classes due to medical students’ refusal to attend. In a briefing on the 29th, the government expressed deep regret regarding the professors’ one-day weekly strike and urged, "As the government has stated it is willing to engage in one-on-one dialogue with medical organizations, we ask that they end collective actions and come to the negotiation table unconditionally to present their opinions."