Most major specialties did not apply for the second half of the year’s recruitment for trainees starting in September. It was revealed that only a very small number of specialists, including those from major hospitals in Seoul known as the ‘Big 5’ hospitals and training hospitals nationwide, applied for the recruitment.
According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare on the 1st, a total of 104 specialists applied for the second half recruitment that closed the day before. Considering that a total of 7,645 specialists are planned to be recruited from 126 training hospitals nationwide this term, only 1.36% applied. Specifically, only 13 interns (0.51%) and 91 residents (1.78%) applied.
The specialists have been reluctant to return after a group resignation during the medical conflict triggered by the government’s increase in medical school admissions in February. As a result, the medical shortage continues, and the government has offered a ‘training exception’ that significantly relaxes the existing constraints for specialists applying for this second half’s recruitment. Those who resigned cannot reapply for a year, but this restriction will not apply to specialists applying for the second half recruitment.
Despite these exceptional measures, only a few specialists expressed their intention to return. The government stated that it plans to conduct additional recruitment this month to maximize the opportunity for specialists to return and will announce detailed schedules at the beginning of the month.
Among the applicants this time, about half applied to major hospitals such as Seoul National University Hospital, Severance Hospital, Seoul Asan Hospital, Samsung Seoul Hospital, and Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, collectively known as the ‘Big 5’. 45 candidates applied to these hospitals, accounting for 43.3% of all applicants, illustrating the reality of the initially feared ‘Big 5 concentration phenomenon’.
Regarding the second half recruitment, other training hospitals expressed concerns about the concentration phenomenon and requested the government to allow regional restrictions similar to existing training hospitals, but the government decided not to impose regional restrictions. Despite concerns about regional medical gaps, addressing the medical gaps at the Big 5 hospitals is considered urgent due to the specialist exodus.