"Big 5 Resident Application Rate Below 10%"... Recruitment Deadline Extended to May 29

No Large-Scale Return of Residents in May's Additional Recruitment at Training Hospitals
Application Deadlines Extended to May 28-29 at Seoul National University, Asan, St. Mary's, and Others

The government has conducted additional recruitment to allow residents who resigned to return, but the number of applicants at each hospital has only reached several dozen, indicating a low application rate. Some hospitals have extended the application deadline to May 29, encouraging residents to return until the last moment.

According to the medical community on May 28, the so-called "Big 5" hospitals (Samsung Medical Center, Seoul National University Hospital, Asan Medical Center, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, and Severance Hospital) had initially planned to close additional resident recruitment on the previous day. However, Catholic Medical Center, which has Seoul St. Mary's Hospital as its training hospital, extended the deadline until this day. Seoul National University Hospital and Asan Medical Center also extended their deadlines by two more days to May 29. Some regional training hospitals, including Chungbuk National University Hospital, also decided to extend their recruitment periods.

Each hospital has not disclosed the number of applicants for this additional recruitment. However, it was found that Severance Hospital, which planned to recruit a total of 708 interns and residents, had only 67 applicants as of the previous day.

An official from a tertiary general hospital explained, "When we initially surveyed residents, we estimated that nearly 20% would return, but currently, the number of applicants is only several dozen, which is less than 10%." Another hospital official said, "Given the current atmosphere, it is difficult to expect a large-scale return of residents. However, we decided to extend the recruitment period as much as possible so that even one more person might change their mind and apply." In the medical community, it is estimated that, based on the Big 5 hospitals, which are recruiting about 3,400 people, fewer than 300 have applied so far.

As of May 20, there were 1,672 residents in training nationwide, which is only 12.4% of the level before the government-medical conflict, leaving more than 10,000 positions vacant. About 120 training hospitals, including the Big 5, plan to recruit a total of 14,456 people in this additional round, including 3,157 interns and 11,299 residents. Previously, during the first half of this year's resident recruitment in January, the application rate was only 2.2%.

The government has announced that it will not apply the regulation that prevents residents from returning to the same specialty and year within one year of resignation during this additional recruitment. It also stated that, if residents return, it will closely coordinate with the Military Manpower Administration and other agencies to allow them to complete their training and fulfill their military service obligations as much as possible.

However, since more than half of the residents who left their training posts have already found new employment as general practitioners, it remains uncertain how many of them will return. According to data received by Kim Sunmin, a member of the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee from the National Innovation Party, from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, 61.4% (5,399 people) of the 8,791 residents who resigned or declined appointment at training hospitals have found employment as general practitioners at other medical institutions.