Association of Training Hospitals: "Apply 'End of February' as the Acceptance Date for Residents' Resignation Letters"

Training hospitals have agreed to set the acceptance date of resignation letters from residents wishing to resign as February 29. Previously, residents argued that if the resignation date was set to June, they would inevitably face legal liabilities for violating the Medical Service Act due to non-compliance with work commencement orders, as well as financial disadvantages such as loss of severance pay.

The Korean Association of Training Hospitals (hereinafter referred to as the Association) held a meeting on the afternoon of the 9th, and after confirming the resignation intentions of residents who had left the hospitals, decided to apply this standard if they wish to resign rather than return.

Residents collectively submitted resignation letters in February in protest against the government's increase in medical school admissions and have since left the hospitals without returning. Although the government withdrew the order prohibiting training hospitals from accepting resignation letters on the 4th of last month, resignations are still not being accepted on the ground.

Previously, the Ministry of Health and Welfare sent an official letter to each training hospital on the day before, requesting confirmation of whether their residents would return or resign by the 15th, to finalize vacancies and apply to the Training Environment Evaluation Committee Secretariat for the recruitment numbers for the second half of September by the 17th. The Association believes that since the government has delegated the matter of the resignation acceptance date to the training hospitals, the content discussed on this day can be applied in the field.

The government stated the day before that the principle is that the acceptance date should be after June 4, when the order prohibiting acceptance of resignation letters was withdrawn, but since it may vary depending on the legal relationship between the hospital and the individual resident, it can be decided through consultation between the parties.

At the meeting, the Association explained that there was a debate over whether to set the resignation acceptance date as 'June 4,' when the government withdrew the order, or 'February,' when the resignation letters were submitted, but ultimately decided after fully considering the residents' demands and circumstances.

Residents have been demanding that the resignation acceptance date be recognized as February, when the resignation letters were actually submitted, rather than June, when the government withdrew the order prohibiting acceptance. They argue that if the resignation date is set to June, they will inevitably face legal liabilities for violating the Medical Service Act due to non-compliance with work commencement orders, as well as financial disadvantages such as loss of severance pay. If the resignation letters are accepted as of February, residents can return to training in March next year without the government's special training exemption.

The government applied an exception to the resident training regulations stating that 'residents cannot return to the same year and specialty within one year after resignation,' allowing residents who resigned to receive training at other hospitals starting in September. However, concerns have arisen that residents from regional training hospitals who resigned will flock to hospitals in the metropolitan area, increasing the gap in essential medical services in the provinces.