[First View] Residents' Decision to Return

Since the inauguration of the Lee Jaemyung administration, there has been a noticeable increase in the number of residents hoping to return to hospitals. Their sentiments range from a simple desire to "go back and complete my training" to a sense of urgency, with some saying "this may be the last chance." With the resignation of the previous hardline leadership that represented the striking residents and the formation of a new executive team, a turning point has been reached that could help resolve the conflict between the government and the medical community.

As the conflict over the expansion of medical school admissions has dragged on for more than a year and four months, a paradoxical truth has become clear to everyone. The much-praised "world-class" medical system of Korean university hospitals has, in reality, been sustained by the low-wage labor of residents. At the same time, it has become apparent that it is not entirely impossible for hospitals to operate solely with specialists, without residents.

Let's look back at last year's situation. As soon as residents collectively resigned, major general hospitals across the country experienced chaos, with treatment and surgery schedules being delayed or canceled one after another. The sharp decline in surgeries and hospitalized patients due to the loss of residents led hospitals to complain of management crises, forcing them to rely on health insurance funds to address urgent financial shortfalls. At the "Big 5" hospitals in Seoul, which were once crowded with patients, bed occupancy rates fell to 50-60%, resulting in a total deficit of around 200 billion won last year alone. Excluding funeral halls, parking lots, and other ancillary facilities, the medical sector itself reportedly suffered a deficit of nearly 600 billion won.

Ironically, however, this crisis also accelerated rapid change and adaptation in the medical field. The Physician Assistant (PA) nurse system was quickly adopted, helping to fill staffing shortages in operating rooms. Non-critical patients, rather than insisting on being treated only at major general hospitals, began seeking care at secondary medical institutions and specialty hospitals on their own. Now, the number of patients at major general hospitals has reportedly recovered to 85-90% of pre-conflict levels. The number of patient complaints related to harm caused by the doctors' collective action, which reached nearly 1,200 cases in March last year, is expected to be about 200 this month?a decrease of more than 80%.

However, there is no room for complacency. Other medical staff, including professors, fellows, and PA nurses, who have struggled to fill the gaps left by residents, are now exhausted. The scope of work for PA nurses has yet to be clearly defined, meaning that while medical services can be provided, the quality of care cannot be guaranteed. With specialists at their limit leaving hospitals and no new specialists to replace them, there is no way to ensure the state of medical care three or four years from now. The 3 trillion won in health insurance funds (including advance payments to training hospitals) spent to resolve the conflict has become a cost that all citizens must bear.

Amidst all this, the residents' recent announcement that they may fully withdraw their previously maintained "seven key demands" is a significant change. Demanding "shorter training hours" or "additional specialist exams" would only reignite controversy over special treatment in an already negative public climate. If various conditions are attached to their "hope to return," both the original intention and sincerity of their return will be undermined.

Even at this very moment, there are patients suffering due to medical service gaps and medical staff barely holding together a broken healthcare system. Before it is too late, residents must demonstrate a more mature sense of social responsibility in the dialogue opened by the new administration. Returning on their own initiative while they still can, staying by patients' sides, and continuing to negotiate and seek better healthcare may be the true calling of a physician.