Regional medical schools evading order to conduct classes at local campuses: Education Ministry

Regional medical schools are evading the government's orders to conduct classes at local campuses instead of affiliated hospitals in the Seoul metropolitan area.

Vice Education Minister Oh Seok-hwan announces a budget plan to enhance the quality of education at medical schools with a focus on regional areas on Sept. 10 at the government complex in Jongno District, central Seoul. [NEWS1]

Regional medical schools are evading the government's orders to conduct classes at local campuses instead of affiliated hospitals in the Seoul metropolitan area.

According to a 2021 report that the Ministry of Education put together and submitted to Rebuilding Korea Party Rep. Kang Kyung-sook on Tuesday, only three out of the six surveyed schools in the report fully complied with the ministry’s request to increase classes at their main campuses in respective local regions.

The ministry demanded the universities "operate all theoretical classes at the officially approved facilities of medical schools starting from the 2022 academic year" and issued a correction order in 2021.

According to the Higher Education Act, regular lectures for which academic credits are granted must be conducted at school facilities within the campus areas officially approved by the education ministry. Affiliated hospitals entrusted with practical training do not fall under this category of approval, according to the ministry.

Six medical schools were surveyed for the report: Sungkyunkwan University, Soonchunhyang University, Hallym University, Dongguk University, Catholic Kwandong University and Ulsan University. Sungkyunkwan University, Soonchunhyang University and Hallym University fully complied with the correction order in the 2022 academic year.

However, Dongguk University delayed compliance by converting lectures into practical training. Catholic Kwandong University replaced in-person classes with online ones that were supposed to be held on the main campus. Ulsan University has not fulfilled three out of six correction requests related to classes and administrative staff working in unapproved facilities.

Initially, Ulsan University stated that starting with the 2023 academic year, all theoretical classes would be held at the main campus in Ulsan, with clinical training at affiliated and partner hospitals. However, due to delays in completing the new medical school building, only the first-year pre-med classes are being held at the Ulsan main campus. Faculty and support staff required for clinical training are still based in Seoul.

Asan Medical Center appears as Ulsan University's medical school Seoul campus in the introduction materials for Ulsan University's 2025 admission guidelines. [OFFICE OF KANG KYUNG-SOOK]

The universities have also not complied with the order to stop referring to affiliated hospitals as campuses in various materials.

The 2025 admissions guidelines referred to Asan Medical Center in Songpa District, southern Seoul, as the "University of Ulsan College of Medicine in Seoul." In an introductory video for the pre-med program posted on Ulsan University's official YouTube channel, the sign at the entrance to Asan Medical Center still reads "University of Ulsan College of Medicine."

"It's true that the construction of the new medical school building has been delayed, but this is due to modifications made in response to the government's medical school expansion plans," explained a representative from Ulsan University, "Currently, only practical training is conducted in Seoul, and promoting this is at the university's discretion."

Unauthorized classes at affiliated hospitals lead to the outflow of medical personnel from regional areas. According to Ulsan University, out of 193 graduates over the past five years, 142 found employment at Seoul Asan Medical Center, while only 11 were employed at Ulsan University Hospital.

It is suspected that there are more cases of regional medical schools delaying compliance. Currently, eight out of 23 private medical schools with regional campuses have affiliated hospitals in the Seoul metropolitan area.

According to an audit report released in December last year, a dental school in Pocheon, Gyeonggi, was found to have conducted 487 theoretical classes in affiliated hospitals for its medical school, nursing department and medical graduate school courses.

"For the increase in medical school quotas in regional areas to be effective, the majority of education and training must take place at regional universities," Rep. Kang pointed out. "Strong administrative and financial measures should be taken against universities that do not properly implement the education ministry’s orders."

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]