Korean Association of Training Hospitals Officially Requests Government for Additional Resident Recruitment in May

Survey Results of Residents to Be Delivered to the Ministry of Health and Welfare Today

The medical community will officially request the government to hold an additional recruitment round this month to allow resigned residents to return to their training hospitals. As the residents themselves have expressed their intention to return through a survey, and normalizing the training environment is urgent for the cultivation of specialists, the government is expected to review this proposal positively.

According to the medical community on May 14, the Korean Association of Training Hospitals, a nationwide council of training hospitals, held a meeting the previous evening to finalize the results of a recent survey targeting resigned residents. The association decided to deliver these results to the Ministry of Health and Welfare on this day.

A representative of the association stated, "While I cannot disclose the exact figures, some respondents, after filtering out duplicate participants, indicated their intention to return in the survey." The representative added, "An institution verified by the government will officially announce the survey results after removing duplicate responses and false answers generated by macro programs."

The conditions for return proposed by residents in the association's survey include: recognition of normal training for those returning in May; guaranteed return for resigned residents who have enlisted in the military after their discharge; and a re-discussion of the essential medical policy package. The association will formally propose to the government an additional recruitment in May for the return of residents, including these demands.

Previously, the Korean Academy of Medical Sciences, which oversees resident training and specialist qualification exams, also revealed that about 300 resigned residents expressed their intention to return to training hospitals according to the survey results. Lee Jinwoo, president of the Korean Academy of Medical Sciences (professor at Yonsei University College of Medicine), stated, "Since the government has indicated that it is willing to negotiate if there is a basis for the residents' return, confirming and delivering the number of applicants wishing to return could provide a justification to persuade the government."

The urgency with which the medical community is moving to establish a plan for the return of resigned residents is because this May is the final window for senior residents (third- and fourth-year residents) to return and be eligible to take the specialist qualification exam. If a resident's training gap exceeds three months, they are not eligible to take the specialist exam. Since this year's resident training began in March, those who do not return before May 31 will not have sufficient training time to sit for the exam in March of the following year. If they return during the second half recruitment, they will have to wait another year to take the specialist exam. If senior residents are unable to take the exam, there will be disruptions in the supply of new specialists early next year.

Earlier this year, when recruiting residents, the government applied a special exemption that did not enforce the restriction preventing resigned residents from returning to the same specialty and year within one year. For residents wishing to return, the government also allowed postponement of military enlistment until the completion of training. However, the application rate was only 2.2% of all eligible candidates. Currently, there are 1,672 residents in training nationwide, which is only 12.4% of the level before the conflict between the medical community and the government.

Afterward, the government stated that it would not consider any additional recruitment until the resident recruitment in September. However, as the medical community recently requested an additional recruitment in May, Minister of Health and Welfare Cho Kyuhong added the condition, "If the intention of resigned residents to return is officially confirmed, we will consider additional recruitment."

A representative of the association said, "Time is running out for residents to return to the training field by the end of this month," and added, "As we have gathered the opinions of resigned residents and delivered them to the government, we will actively cooperate to ensure this leads to policy action."