"Will Cement the Deterioration of Medical Education"... Growing Backlash from the Medical Community

Medical Associations Agitated Over Conditional Leave of Absence and Curriculum Shortening Plans

The medical community has collectively criticized the government's policy of 'conditional leave approval for medical students.' The Ministry of Education's announcement that the medical education curriculum could be shortened from the current six years to five years has been met with accusations of being a 'hasty measure.'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Emergency Committee of Professors of Medical Schools Nationwide, the Council of Professors of Medical Schools Nationwide, and the Korea Association of Medical Colleges and Medical Schools issued a joint statement on the 6th, asserting, "Medical students' leave of absence is a matter of free will. The state cannot force their return," and added, "The Ministry of Education's announcement infringes on the autonomy of universities guaranteed by Article 31, Paragraph 4 of the Constitution and brutally deprives medical students of their fundamental rights guaranteed by Article 10 of the Constitution."

These organizations also criticized the Ministry of Education, saying, "They are producing hasty measures that forcibly adjust only the academic schedule without any qualitative consideration of medical education to cover up poor education," and "Medical education itself is already abnormal, but as time becomes tight, they are now openly trying to entrench the deterioration of medical education."

Kim Seong-geun, spokesperson for the Council of Professors of Medical Schools Nationwide, said, "The medical education curriculum is not easy even with six years," and added, "The essence of solving the problem is to proceed with proper education."

Park Dan, emergency committee chairperson of the Korean Intern Resident Association, criticized via social media (SNS), saying, "The Minister of Education is leading poor education," and "To be clear, not only will students not return to school, but next year's freshmen will not be different from their seniors."

Medical organizations also demanded an apology from the government for its obsession with increasing the number of medical students and for pushing unilateral policies.

The Korean Medical Association stated, "Talking about retention or expulsion while blatantly depriving individuals of their freedom and self-determination rights, which violate the Constitution, shows that the Ministry of Education itself knows that medical education in 2025 is practically impossible under these circumstances," and added, "We are fiercely outraged by the Ministry of Education's successive reckless measures that ruin medical education and throw public health into chaos, and we strongly condemn the government's overstepping outrage."