Medical school enrollment to increase by 2,000 to 5,058 next year

Health and Welfare Minister Cho Kyu-hong speaks during the first healthcare policy review committee for 2024 at the Government Complex in Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea, on Feb. 6. His seat is vacant for Lee Pil-soo, president of the Korean Medical Association, who was not present. Yonhap

The government announced on February 6 that it will increase the number of medical school seats to 5,058, 2,000 more than the current number of 3,058, in the 2025 university entrance examination. The government said it will maintain the 5,058 seats each year until the 2029 academic year to expand the number of doctors by 10,000 by 2035.

It will be the first time in 19 years since 2006 that the number of medical school seats has changed. The government explained that "expanding the number of doctors" is essential to resolve the crisis in local and essential medical fields. The medical community has warned of a hardline response, including a strike.

"It is expected that there will be a shortage of 15,000 doctors in 2035, 10 years from now," the Ministry of Health and Welfare said at a briefing at the Government Complex in Jongno-gu, Seoul, adding, "If 2,000 additional students are admitted from the 2025 academic year, doctors will be produced from 2031, expanding the number of doctors up to 10,000 by 2035."

After announcing the plan to expand the number of doctors in October last year, the government received data on the demand and educational capacity of 40 medical universities nationwide and completed on-site inspections. It also explained that the plan was made after collecting opinions from the medical community and consumer and patient organizations.

If the government maintains the medical school seats of 5,058 for five years from the 2025 academic year, the number of doctors will increase by 2,000 every year for five years from 2031 to 2035, up to 10,000. The government said it plans to manage the number of seats after the 2030 academic year by comprehensively considering changes in the medical environment and people's medical utilization.

The number of seats for each university next year will be announced at a later date after the Ministry of Education's seat allocation process. The government has set the principle that the increased seats will be "centered on medical schools in non-metropolitan areas." The government also plans to provide policy support to increase the mandatory selection rate for local talent in non-metropolitan medical schools to 60 percent from the current 40 percent. Plans for new regional and public medical schools were not announced this time.
The medical community is expected to react strongly to the expansion of medical schools as it far exceeds the initial expectations of around 1,000.

The Korean Medical Association said it will respond to the government's announcement of the expansion of medical school admission seats by switching to an emergency committee system. It also mentioned the possibility of a strike right after the Lunar New Year holiday.The government said it would sternly respond to a strike by doctors. The Ministry of Health and Welfare held an emergency meeting of the Central Accident Control Center later in the day and raised the healthcare crisis level to "alert" in preparation for a strike.

※This article has undergone review by a professional translator after being translated by an AI translation tool.