Medical School Professors: "If 'Suspension of Medical School Expansion' Is Dismissed, Working Hours Will Be Readjusted"

National Medical Professors' Emergency Committee Temporary General Meeting
"Seeking Normalization Measures if Quoted"

On the 30th, the outpatient clinics at Seoul National University Hospital in Jongno-gu, Seoul, appeared quiet as professors working at Seoul National University Hospital and Severance Hospital, two of the 'Big 5' major hospitals in Seoul, suspended outpatient consultations and surgeries. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

Professors from medical schools announced their intention to readjust working hours if the court dismisses or rejects the medical community's request for a suspension of the increase in medical school admissions.

The National Emergency Committee of Medical School Professors (Jeon-ui-bi) held an online emergency general meeting on the 15th and stated in a press release, "If the court grants the suspension of the increase, we will respect the decision and seek ways to normalize medical services."

They also emphasized, "In the event of dismissal or rejection, we have thoroughly discussed the 'readjustment of working hours' within the prolonged emergency medical system."

Jeon-ui-bi is an organization composed of emergency committees of professors from various medical schools opposing the government's forced push to increase medical school admissions, with professors from 19 out of 40 medical schools participating. Last month on the 26th, this group expressed fatigue due to the long-term departure of residents and announced plans to have regular weekly closures at affiliated hospitals of their medical schools. Jeon-ui-bi is reportedly considering both continuing the 'once-a-week closure' and implementing a 'one-week closure.'

On this day, Jeon-ui-bi stated, "The distribution of increased admissions by each medical school was made without concrete budget plans or in-depth on-site inspections," and added, "Specific data will be disclosed by each university after the court ruling."

Jeon-ui-bi emphasized, "It has been reconfirmed that the distribution of increased admissions to each medical school was recklessly allocated without consideration of manpower, costs, and facilities or accurate inspections," and stated, "The government's distribution of increased admissions is unrealistic."