Alliance for Severe Diseases Urges to Stop the '5-Year Medical School Program' That Only Fuels Conflict

Patient groups urged, "The Ministry of Education recklessly introduced the 5-year medical school policy, causing confusion," and called for the suspension of the "5-year medical school" policy that only fuels conflict.

A medical school in Seoul on the 20th, when the results of the increased medical school admission quota distribution, which triggered conflicts between the medical community and the government, were announced. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

On the 9th, the Severe Disease Alliance released a press statement criticizing the Ministry of Education's "5-year medical school policy." The alliance stated, "We supported the increase in medical school admissions and agreed on the necessity of medical reform," but pointed out, "However, at a time when conflict resolution was needed, the continued leaves of absence and grade retention among medical students only heightened anxiety."

They continued, "The prolonged medical crisis has worsened patient suffering, and the number of deaths due to delayed treatment has increased," lamenting, "It has reached a point where even the government cannot be trusted anymore?whether they truly intend to resolve the current situation or are merely trying to stir up discord to entangle the medical system." The group demanded, "Those responsible for devising the baseless '5-year medical school' measure must be held accountable," and urged, "The government and the National Assembly must sincerely reconsider reform policies that only exacerbate confusion."

Earlier, on the 6th, as soon as the Ministry of Education proposed shortening the medical school curriculum from 6 years to 5 years as an emergency measure to normalize medical education, controversies erupted nationwide. The Ministry quickly clarified that the '1-year reduction' is not mandatory. At the National Assembly audit the day before, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Lee Ju-ho responded to a question about what would happen if no medical school wanted to adopt the 5-year system by saying, "We support schools that can implement it, so if there are none, it simply won't be done."