[Reporter’s Notebook] Medical School Expansion Leaves Education in Complete Uncertainty

"Nothing has been finalized regarding medical school operations after next year. We don't even know how many students to teach per grade. How can we prepare for medical school evaluations under these circumstances?"

The dean of an increased-capacity medical school in the Seoul metropolitan area, which is subject to accreditation evaluation by the Korea Institute of Medical Education and Evaluation (KIMEE), expressed frustration during a phone interview with the reporter.

Medical schools, which train doctors who handle human lives, must be regularly evaluated to ensure they can properly educate medical students. The government designates KIMEE as the legally entrusted agency to conduct these evaluations. Medical schools that fail accreditation face consequences under relevant laws, including quota reductions, suspension of admissions, and prohibition of current students from taking the national medical licensing exam. In severe cases, schools may be closed. In fact, Seonam University Medical School was closed due to KIMEE's non-accreditation.

The 30 medical schools with increased quotas for next year must undergo KIMEE accreditation evaluations annually for six years starting this year. However, all these expanded medical schools are at a loss about how to plan their operations and prepare for evaluations. Those involved in the evaluated medical schools cannot hide their bewilderment. The dean who spoke with the reporter pointed out that as the medical crisis worsened beyond expectations, the government's indecisiveness has made stable medical education itself uncertain.

They complain that the government keeps changing its stance on the most basic issue?the scale of the increase?making it impossible to plan education. In fact, the government has created room to readjust medical school quotas to recall resigned residents. Last month, the government stated, "If residents provide opinions together with the medical community, we can discuss quota estimates objectively and transparently from the 2026 academic year onward." Increased-capacity medical schools must expand educational conditions according to student numbers to receive accreditation. According to the government's announcement, medical school quotas could continue to change in the 2025, 2026 academic years, and beyond. Currently, it is impossible to predict how many students will be admitted each year. Medical schools agree that as long as the government continues to improvise like this, they cannot properly plan investments in educational facilities, making KIMEE accreditation impossible.

This situation is a problem for all increased-capacity medical schools. The KIMEE 'Major Changes Evaluation Plan Briefing' held on the 30th of last month was packed with representatives from these schools. A representative from a regional medical school lamented, "To meet KIMEE evaluation standards, the only option is not to admit new students next year. I think this is an impossible situation for private universities in provincial areas." If the future of increased-capacity medical schools becomes uncertain, the damage is not limited to the evaluated schools. Prospective medical students preparing for admission and current students are all directly affected. Patients expecting high-quality medical services from excellent doctors are also stakeholders.

Since announcing the quota increases, the government has repeatedly stated to the medical community, which fears a decline in medical education quality, that there is "no cause for concern." However, as the KIMEE evaluation approaches, the government panicked, changed the composition of the KIMEE board, and attempted to conduct pre-review of accreditation. In this situation, the government's role is not to interfere with KIMEE evaluations. The government's duty is to eliminate uncertainties so that medical schools can educate students stably.