A Majority of Essential Department Residents
Say "No Intention to Resume Training"
Resident doctors who have resigned cited the re-examination of the essential medical policy package and the implementation plan for medical reform as prerequisites for resuming their training.
The Korean Intern Resident Association (KIRA) announced on July 7 the results of a government demand survey conducted from July 2 to 5, in which 8,458 resident doctors who had resigned nationwide participated regarding the conditions for returning to training hospitals in September. According to the announcement, the survey on issues that the KIRA emergency response committee should demand from the government as prerequisites for resuming training showed that the "re-examination of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration's essential medical policy package and the implementation plan for medical reform" received the highest proportion of responses. This was followed by "guaranteeing continuity of training for residents who have enlisted in the military or are awaiting enlistment," "alleviating legal liability for unavoidable medical accidents," and "improving the training environment for residents."
A significant number of resident doctors who resigned from essential medical departments also responded that they have no intention of returning. According to the survey, among respondents who selected "no intention to resume resident training," 72.1% were resident doctors who had resigned from government-designated essential departments (internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, neurology, neurosurgery, emergency medicine, and cardiovascular and thoracic surgery).
Meanwhile, the conditions that the emergency committee asked respondents to prioritize were as follows: ▲ Re-examination of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration's essential medical policy package and the implementation plan for medical reform ▲ Increasing the proportion of physicians in health and medical governance ▲ Observing a three-year advance notice system for medical school enrollment quotas ▲ Expanding the recruitment of specialists in training hospitals ▲ Alleviating legal liability for unavoidable medical accidents ▲ Improving the training environment for residents ▲ Guaranteeing continuity of training for residents who have enlisted in the military or are awaiting enlistment ▲ Abolishing Article 59 (order to commence work) of the Medical Service Act ▲ Guaranteeing the three basic labor rights of residents under Article 33 of the Constitution ▲ Resolving educational issues for medical students in the classes of 2024 and 2025 ▲ Increasing flexibility in academic affairs for medical students, totaling 11 items.
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