Submission of Medical Student Academic Probation and Expulsion Status Due Today... "Tripling" Likely at This Rate

70% May Face Academic Probation
Ministry of Education to Announce Consolidated Results on May 9

On May 7, 40 medical schools nationwide will submit their final reports on the status of academic probation and expulsion for medical students who have not returned to school to the Ministry of Education. The class participation rate among medical students remains largely unchanged from the 25.9% recorded on April 17, meaning that, at this rate, around 70% of students will be placed on academic probation. As medical education has been disrupted for two consecutive years, it is inevitable that in the coming year, students from the classes of 2024, 2025, and 2026 will all take first-year pre-med courses at the same time, a situation referred to as "tripling."

A Ministry of Education official stated, "Each university has agreed to submit the status of disciplinary actions for non-returning medical students and their future schedules by the end of the workday today (May 7)," adding, "We will receive reports by 6 p.m. and, as early as May 9, announce the consolidated results." The original deadline for compiling disciplinary actions was April 30, but in consideration of the May holiday schedule, it was extended to the date of official document submission, which is today. Effectively, medical students were given about an extra week to return.

The Ministry of Education has required each medical school to submit the following: the date for notifying students of pending academic probation, the number of students expected to be placed on probation, the date of the academic probation (grades) review committee meeting, and the number of students notified of confirmed probation. Regarding expulsion, schools must report the number of students expected to be expelled, the scheduled date for the internal committee meeting on expulsion, and the final date of expulsion. To ensure accurate statistics, all surveys must exclude responses such as "undecided," "under review," or "to be reviewed."

Based on the number of students placed on academic probation or expelled as of today, as well as each university's plan for managing returning students, the Ministry of Education will draw up next year's academic calendar for medical schools. The Ministry has already instructed universities to prepare educational operation plans that consider the possibility of three cohorts taking first-year pre-med courses simultaneously. Some universities, including Dong-A University and Jeonbuk National University, have already revised their academic regulations to give course registration priority to the class of 2026 in preparation for tripling. Other universities are expected to refer to these measures and devise their own plans according to the status of academic probation at their institutions.

The government has also proposed filling vacancies left by expelled students with transfer students. On May 5, Lee Jooho, Acting President and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, stated, "If vacancies arise due to expulsion or other reasons related to non-return, the government will support each university to ensure smooth transfer admissions to fill those vacancies." As a result, there is ongoing discussion about easing regulations related to medical school transfers. Currently, when vacancies occur, the scale of transfer admissions is determined based on four criteria: campus area, buildings, faculty (professors), and basic property for income generation. The Ministry of Education is considering allowing all vacancies to be filled with transfer students, regardless of these criteria, in order to prevent a gap in the supply of new doctors.