CEO Bang Jae-seung “Government runaway locomotive… ridiculous number”
Medical school professors say, “Withdraw allocation… concentrated allocation in non-metropolitan areas is nothing more than a political slogan.”
Seoul Medical Association “I feel like I’m dealing with the Supreme Prosecutor’s Office’s special department… a shallow plan aimed at the election.”
Medical students say, “I won’t be able to practice dissection properly… I demand repairs to the leave of absence system.”
Citizens watching the Prime Minister’s address to the public regarding the increase in medical schools
(Seoul = Larose.VIP) Reporter Kim Jan-di and Oh Jin-song = When the government officially announced on the 20th a plan to increase the number of medical schools by 2,000 students, the medical community is strongly protesting.
Bang Jae-seung, chairman of the national medical school professor emergency response committee, appeared on the MBC News Desk that day and criticized the government’s announcement of admission quotas for each medical school and announced that he would submit his resignation on the 25th as scheduled.
He said, “(With the announcement of medical school expansion), I am worried that residents may be crossing a river from which they cannot return,” and “Professors are doing their best to protect hospitals, but they are getting more and more exhausted. University hospitals are going bankrupt, and Korea’s medical care is in great jeopardy.” “You will receive it,” he said.
He continued, “Medical school education requires a variety of hands-on equipment, cutting-edge equipment, and highly skilled faculty,” and I do not understand why they are suggesting medical school classes be held in the morning, afternoon, and evening. “I think this is a ridiculous number of reinforcements,” he criticized.
At the same time, he emphasized, “The government is running like a runaway locomotive,” and “I plan to do my best to somehow get the government, the medical association, and medical residents to sit at the negotiating table again.”
On this day, professors from Yonsei University College of Medicine, Severance Hospital, Gangnam Severance Hospital, and Yongin Severance Hospital strongly criticized the government by issuing a statement saying, “The government should withdraw the plan to increase the number of medical students by 2,000.”
They said, “The hasty policy of increasing the number of medical schools will bring our country’s doctor education down to the level of an underdeveloped country, ushering in a dark history,” and “We are giving up on the 15,000 people from the next generation (residents, medical school students, etc.) who submitted letters of resignation and requests for leave of absence.” “We cannot expect any effect from increasing the number of medical schools.”
He added, “Yonsei University Medical School professors declare that they absolutely cannot accept the medical school increase allocation plan.”
Announcement of medical school quota allocation
The Dongguk University Professors’ Council also announced in a statement, “The moment disadvantages to residents and students become a reality, we have no choice but to take certain action,” and predicted collective action, including submitting resignations.
He continued, “We deplore the fact that the Ministry of Health and Welfare, which has failed to address the current population decline despite investing tens of trillions of won in national finances over several decades, announced the violent medical school quota without consulting with expert groups.”
The Emergency Response Committee of the Korean Medical Association also said in a statement, “We again earnestly appeal to the government,” and added, “Please no longer forcibly push forward with policies that threaten the lives of the people, but make a wise decision now so that medical care can be normalized as soon as possible.” “Please give it to me,” he said.
The Seoul Metropolitan Medical Association also said in a statement, “It feels like we are dealing with a special department of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office rather than a normal government,” and criticized, “There is a shallow ulterior motive in believing that local residents will support us if we expand the number of medical school seats in local areas ahead of the election.”
They protested, saying, “The government is pushing unrealistic policies like a military regime, but Korea’s medical care cannot be reversed,” and “the worst has already begun.”
At the same time, he emphasized, “There has been no successful case in history of witch-hunting reform,” and “We will definitely prove the legitimacy (of doctors whose licenses were suspended) through administrative litigation.”
An appeal for the return of medical residents posted at a large hospital
The National Medical School Professors Association (KMA) expressed concern about the quality of medical education and expressed its intention to find a solution.
The Korean Medical Association is a separate medical school professor organization from the ‘National Medical School Professor Emergency Response Committee’, which announced the submission of a resignation letter on the 25th. The Korean Medical Association recently filed a lawsuit with the Seoul Administrative Court against the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Minister of Education to cancel the expansion of medical schools and requested a provisional injunction to suspend execution.
Cho Yoon-jeong, a professor at Korea University School of Medicine (chairman of the Korea University School of Medicine Faculty Council), criticized in an online briefing of the Korean Medical Association on this day, saying, “The problem of (increasing the number of medical schools) is linked to the field of medical school education, so it cannot be simply resolved with one word.”
At the same time, he said, “The Korean Medical Association will work together with medical students, residents, and the Korean Medical Association to find wise solutions and agreements,” and added, “Please help us move forward to a forum for discussion.”
Medical students are also protesting.
The Korean University of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine Student Association (KMA), which consists of medical school and medical school student representatives, issued a joint statement on the same day, saying, “If the number of students is increased, students will not be able to properly practice dissection with insufficient cadavers (cadavers for dissection) and will not be able to properly practice dissection.” He criticized, “You will become a doctor through forced promotion while attending hostile training,” adding, “This policy is a ploy to oppress the medical community through intimidation and intimidation and gain political benefits from it.”
He continued, “We will never acknowledge the government’s unilateral announcement, and students will not back down,” and added, “We will strongly demand that the school leave system be repaired.”
On this day, the government officially announced the number of medical school students for the 2025 school year, which is 2,000 more than before, putting a ‘wedge’ in the expansion of medical schools for the first time in 27 years.
As previously emphasized several times, the government allocated 82% of the increase to non-metropolitan areas to expand regional medical infrastructure, and distributed the remaining 18% to the Gyeonggi and Incheon regions. The number of people in the Seoul area was not increased by one person.
medical staff on the move
dindong@yna.co.kr
Report to KakaoTalk okjebo
