The Korean Medical Association announced on the 12th that a total of 566 people applied for the 68th Specialist Qualification Examination in 2025.
This number accounts for only 20.3% of the 2,782 candidates who took the specialist qualification exam this year, raising concerns that the number of newly certified specialists may sharply decline.
The sharp decrease in candidates for the specialist qualification exam is mainly attributed to the mid-term withdrawal of residents protesting the expansion of medical school quotas.
Residents undergo a training process consisting of one year as an intern and three to four years as a resident before taking the specialist exam, but recently, the attendance rate of residents has remained at the 8% level. From August to early November, the attendance rate ranged from 8.7% to 8.9%. The attendance rate of residents, who make up the majority of residents, is around 10%.
Medical staff at Seoul National University Hospital in Jongno-gu, Seoul, are moving for patient care.
According to data submitted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare to Jeon Jin-sook, a member of the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea, only 553 senior residents who are 'expected to complete' training are eligible to take the 2025 specialist qualification exam.
Including 23 senior residents who resumed training in the second half of the year, the total number eligible to take the exam is only 576. Moreover, applicants must undergo eligibility screening, during which some may be disqualified.
In response, a representative of the Korean Medical Association stated, "We plan to discuss countermeasures for the decrease in newly certified specialists through the Medical Council and other consultative bodies."
The first written exam of the 68th Specialist Qualification Examination will be held on February 14 next year, and the second practical and oral exams will take place from February 18 to 21.
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