Korea to expand medical school admissions from 2025 to address doctor shortage

Amid increasing concerns over the gap in essential medical care, the Korean government is considering adding 500 more medical school admission slots starting in the 2025 school year.

The government is seeking the rapid expansion, instead of a gradual increase, according to an unnamed high-ranking government official on Thursday, as it believes that a gradual increase would not be sufficient to meet the medical care required immediately by society, given that it takes 10 years for a medical school to foster a medical professional.

The number of medical school enrollments has remained at 3,058 for 18 years since 2006 and according to the Ministry of Education, 17 out of the nation’s 40 medical schools currently have fewer than 50 students. “There are a number of medical schools that have the infrastructure to accommodate an increase in enrollment,” said an industry insider. If those 17 schools currently with less than 50 students were to increase their enrollment to 60 students, a total of 1,000 new admissions would be possible.

The government is also hoping to expand the capacity of existing medical schools, instead of establishing any new schools, including much-discussed public medical schools, as it believes the option would ensure a stable medical workforce without hurting the quality of care.

Another reason behind the government’s plan is that a new medical school would require an accompanying hospital for the effective functioning of the school, and this raises costs for the state.

“To foster doctors, an entire system must be in place, including faculty, curriculum and training sites. Students alone cannot develop into medical professionals without the support of such a system,” said Dr. Yim Jae-joon at Seoul National University Hospital. “Simply establishing a university does not mean that the training system will automatically follow. Therefore, increasing the number of enrollments centered on existing medical schools is the correct solution.”

The increase in admissions and in the number of potential medical professionals will contribute to filling the gap in essential health care, as initially expected, only if the prices of medical service, most of which receive a government subsidy, are increased, especially in the areas of essential medical care. Healthcare professionals note that price hikes and subsequent increases in profits will improve the work environment for doctors, and this will help with the shortage of doctors.

While various options are under consideration to address the shortage of essential medical care, the introduction of rural doctors is also expected to be hastened amid the collapse of rural medical care and the increasing medical disparity between the metropolitan areas and other regions. There are also calls for exemptions from criminal penalties for essential medical practices. Currently, there is a pending bill in the National Assembly to reduce criminal penalties for no-fault medical accidents.