KMA Urges On-Site Inspection of Medical School Education Environment... Enrollment Should Be Reduced If Education Is Not Feasible

"Consensus on the Need for Medical Reform,
Medical Community Calls for Restarting Discussions from Scratch"
"Urging the Establishment of a Discussion Table
with the Government, National Assembly, and Medical Community"

The Korean Medical Association (KMA) has urged the government to conduct a practical investigation into whether sufficient medical education is possible at medical schools with increased enrollment and doubling (simultaneous education of the 24th and 25th cohorts). The KMA's position is that if the results show that normal education is difficult, the medical school quotas for next year should be reduced.

On the 8th at 2 PM, Kim Seong-geun, spokesperson for the Korean Medical Association, held a briefing on medical issues at the KMA headquarters in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, requesting the Ministry of Education to conduct an on-site inspection of medical school education environments. Photo by Choi Tae-won

On the afternoon of the 8th, the KMA held a briefing on medical issues at the KMA Hall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, and announced this. Kim Seong-geun, the KMA spokesperson, said, "Looking at the situation of each university, there are places where education is judged to be absolutely impossible," and added, "We request the Ministry of Education to conduct a detailed on-site inspection of the relevant universities to confirm whether proper education is feasible."

He emphasized, "We urge that after restoring the quota to 3,058, not the recruitment number for next year, the recruitment numbers should be reduced for medical schools where normal education is judged to be impossible."

Earlier, the Korea Institute of Medical Education and Evaluation (KIMEE) announced the results of a major change evaluation conducted in February on 30 medical schools with an increase of more than 10% in their quotas. In this evaluation, except for the medical schools of Chungbuk, Ulsan, and Wonkwang University, the remaining 27 medical schools received 'accreditation' status.

In response, spokesperson Kim explained, "This evaluation by KIMEE assumed that only the increased 25th cohort students would receive education, and it focused more on plans on how to prepare rather than whether education is immediately possible," adding, "The Ministry of Education should examine whether education is actually feasible. If the Ministry wishes, the KMA and KIMEE can assist with on-site inspections."

He also argued that the Presidential Commission on Medical Reform (PCMR) should be stopped and that medical reform tasks should be re-discussed from scratch with the medical community. Kim said, "What basis is there for the absurd argument that the Presidential Commission should be maintained even though the president is gone?"

However, he clarified, "Saying to reconsider from scratch does not mean abolishing all existing medical reform tasks and starting anew," and explained, "It means that based on agreement on the basic agenda, various opinions from the medical community should be heard from the selection of detailed tasks onward."

He also emphasized that the medical community does not deny the necessity of medical reform. He stated, "The KMA also has concerns about the sustainability of the medical system," and added, "However, many of the detailed contents promoted by the current government are unreasonable, so we want to properly review them."

To this end, he urged the establishment of a discussion table composed of the government, the National Assembly, and the medical community. Kim said, "After the impeachment ruling of President Yoon Seok-yeol, we now expect that the government and the National Assembly will have proper decision-making authority and that dialogue will be possible," adding, "If a table is set up to discuss and decide on the demands and proposals raised so far, medical normalization will be possible in a short time."

He added, "If a discussion table is created, we believe that resigned residents and medical students will also be able to participate in the dialogue."

Meanwhile, the KMA will hold the National Representatives Meeting and the Presidential Election Planning Headquarters inauguration ceremony on the 13th. Then, at 2 p.m. on the 20th, it will hold the 'National Doctors' Rally for the Normalization of Medical Care and Medical Education' around Sungnyemun in Jung-gu, Seoul.