“Repeating for One More Year Would Be Too Costly… Medical Association Cannot Represent Medical Students”
The deans of medical schools nationwide have appealed to medical students through a letter to return to their studies.
The Korean Association of Medical Colleges and Medical Graduate Schools (KAMC) publicly released a letter to students today (4th) stating, “The cessation of training doctors for the past year will result in many adverse effects on our medical field,” and added, “Repeating this for another year would impose a cost too great for our society and you to bear.”
The association warned, “If students do not return in the first semester, a second consecutive year of halted doctor production will seriously damage the doctor training system, potentially leading to an unsustainable situation of accommodating three academic years starting the first year in 2026.”
It continued, “From February to early March this year, the medical association assessed that the Ministry of Education had the final opportunity to resolve this issue amidst the impeachment crisis and requested three resolutions from the government during a meeting with the Minister of Education and College Administrators on February 24.”
They had previously requested the government to freeze the medical school quota for the 2026 academic year at its current level of 3,058 students, decide quotas for 2027 and beyond through a committee formed in agreement with the medical sector, and provide administrative and financial support to maintain and improve the quality of medical education.
The medical association also stated that it is difficult to solve the medical school issues under the current discussion structure centered around the Korean Medical Association (KMA).
The association mentioned, “Since medical students are not yet licensed doctors, they are different from residents and established doctors associated with the KMA,” adding, “It seems that the KMA has limitations in representing medical schools, which are institutions for training future doctors.”
It emphasized, “The sacrifices you made over the past year will not be in vain, and the association will work to persuade the government,” urging students to make wise decisions and return to school together.
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