All Medical Professions Unite in One Voice: "Reconsider the Hasty Medical School Expansion from the Beginning"

"All Medical Residents and Students Must Unite with One Voice"
Ahn Cheol-soo: "We Must Start Discussing Medical School Expansion Issues for 2025"

Park Hyung-wook, the emergency committee chairman of the Korean Medical Association (KMA), urged for a re-discussion on the increase of medical school admissions from the ground up, emphasizing the need to unite the intentions of all medical professions.

Medical representatives shouting slogans at the National Medical Representatives Conference. Photo by Yonhap News

On the 22nd, at the 'National Medical Representatives Conference for Punishing Those Responsible for Medical Manipulation' held at the KMA headquarters in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, Chairman Park stated, "The direction the medical community should take is to establish a tradition where all professions discuss matters within one unified framework."

He added, "Instead of blaming each other, we must think about what our respective groups can do and put it into practice. If the intentions of all professions, including residents and medical students, can be united, preventing medical manipulation and normalizing healthcare will be one step closer."

The conference gathered representatives from various medical professions nationwide, including private practitioners, employed doctors, medical school professors, and residents, to discuss future responses to the government's healthcare reform policies.

Before the main meeting, the medical representatives shouted slogans such as "Reconsider the hasty and unilateral increase of medical school admissions from the ground up" and "Withdraw healthcare policies made without consensus from the medical community."

Kang Dae-sik, acting president of the KMA, asserted, "The government must immediately halt the flawed healthcare reform policies it has pursued so far and punish those responsible." Kim Gyo-woong, chairman of the KMA assembly, urged, "Now, university presidents must put their conscience on the line regarding student quotas and work with professors to provide proper education."

The event was also attended by Ahn Cheol-soo, a member of the National Assembly from the People Power Party and a former doctor, and Lee Ju-young from the Reform New Party. Ahn said, "The government, ruling and opposition parties, and the medical community should form an emergency consultative body to discuss the 2025 medical school admission increase issue first."

He also stated, "A bipartisan parliamentary consultative body for mid- to long-term healthcare reform must be re-established, and the acting president should apologize for the 'resident crackdown' proclamation."

Assemblyman Lee called on senior doctors to help residents and medical students return. He said, "The only way to stop regular admissions now is to delegate that authority to each medical school," adding, "Please step forward in front of the students and say, 'We (deans and professors) will take responsibility, from legal issues to education, and at least for lawsuits concerning our school, we will be accountable.'"

He also requested professors to "promise to enable residents to study again in the most efficient and professional way they desire when they return."