Medical Student Association: "99% of Medical Students Have Submitted Leave of Absence or Are Refusing Classes... Need to Reconsider from the Beginning"

98.81% Support Reconsidering the Original Plan for Medical School Expansion

A survey revealed that nearly 99% of medical students opposed to the government's plan to increase medical school admissions have either submitted leave of absence forms or refused to attend classes.

On the 20th, the Korean Medical School and Graduate School of Medicine Student Association (KMSA) announced the results of a 'Leave of Absence Submission and Class Refusal Status and Perception Survey' conducted from the 13th to the 17th among 14,676 medical students out of a total of 18,348 students, ranging from freshmen to fourth-year students.

A view of a medical school library in Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

According to the survey, as of the 13th of this month, 98.73% of respondents reported that they had submitted leave of absence forms or were refusing to attend classes.

The KMSA pointed out, "This figure is significantly different from the 'valid leave of absence submission rate in the 50% range' claimed by the Ministry of Education," adding, "The Ministry denies the legitimacy of the leave forms submitted by students, forcibly regulates the acceptance of leave forms by each university, and compels universities to seek forced promotion measures, thereby denying students' freedom of choice."

Regarding the medical school admission increase policy, 98.81% of respondents expressed the opinion that a 'complete cancellation and re-discussion from the starting point' is necessary. The proportion of those who are 'strongly opposed' to the essential medical policy package was also high at 80.39%.

Among those opposing the essential medical policy package, many believed that the government "misdiagnosed the cause without considering the complexity and organic nature of the medical system" and "deviated from the necessary direction to solve the problem or exaggerated the expected effects."

The KMSA stated, "Students perceive not only the medical school quota but also the essential medical policy package, which encompasses the overall medical policies of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, as problematic," adding, "This policy accelerates the collapse of the Korean medical system and raises concerns about future career paths." They continued, "Far from improving the severe medical environment, this policy could inflict irreparable damage on critical care in Korea," emphasizing, "In-depth discussions that genuinely reflect the opinions of the medical field must be conducted from the ground up."