The South Korean government plans to increase medical school admissions by 2,000 spots next year, the first expansion in nearly two decades, to address the country’s doctor shortage. 

But experts say there may be unintended consequences that impact the quality of education, regional sustainability and the long-term distribution of healthcare professionals.

The government decided to increase admissions to the country’s medical schools as there is a severe need for medical professionals as the country rapidly ages. Seoul projects a shortage of some 20,000 trained medical professionals by 2035.

The government’s initiative aims to decentralize the medical profession and enhance healthcare services in rural areas by expanding admission quotas at others. The government hopes this will address the country’s severe shortage of surgeons, obstetricians and pediatricians.

REGIONAL DISPARITIES

South Korea has 40 medical schools with a total admission quota that has remained unchanged at 3,058 students annually since 2006, according to the education ministry, a limited number compared to other fields of study.

Lim Seong-ho, the CEO of Jongno Academy, a private institution that helps would-be medical students pass the entrance exam, told Korea Pro that the government plans to allocate 1,600 out of 2,000 new slots to students outside major metropolitan areas. 

“Given the smaller student populations in provincial areas compared to the Seoul metropolitan area, the government’s strategy aims to expand the number of future doctors to these sparsely populated regions as much as possible,” Lim said.

A medical student uses a laptop | Image: Canva

SHIFTING COURSE

Lim explained to Korea Pro that two main factors determine the competition rate for regional talent admissions: the number of applicants and the number of spots available.

“Naturally, regions with fewer applicants and a significant increase in medical school slots will see lower competition rates,” he said.

An analysis by the Herald Economy newspaper revealed that Gangwon Province, with about 11,000 applicants, faces a competition rate of one in 27 across four medical schools admitting 432 students.

Conversely, Busan and Ulsan in South Gyeongsang Province have 57,000 applicants and the highest national competition rate at 70 to 1, with four medical schools enrolling 820 students.

This situation has heightened interest among parents aiming for regional talent admissions, potentially leading to more families relocating to provincial areas so their children can qualify for a better chance of getting into a medical school.

“Being an education-centric country, the fervor for education often leads parents to prioritize their children’s prospects over their aptitudes or interests, especially when selecting their children’s field of study,” Lim Jeong-Mook, the chair of Seoul National University’s faculty council, told Korea Pro.

Lim of Jongno Academy backed up Lim Jeong-mook’s concerns, telling Korea Pro that he has already observed a renewed interest in reapplying for medical school among individuals who tried and failed to get in before and among STEM students and professionals.

“We’ve been observing this closely since the government announced its plans to expand medical school quotas,” Lim of Jongno Academy said, adding that the new admissions system may successfully lure students from other majors into medicine.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol meets the medical staff at Cheongju Korea Hospital, March 26, 2024 | Image: ROK Presidential Office

BUT WILL IT WORK?

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol announced measures to address the distribution of medical professionals across the country during a cabinet meeting in late March. The measures aim to establish a support system that ensures the additional medical professionals who benefit from the government’s initiative can find jobs outside urban areas. 

Yoon expressed confidence that graduates from regional medical schools would stay and work there. He also stated that the government would help make it possible for medical school graduates to complete residency training outside the capital area. 

If the administration’s plans come to fruition, it might benefit regional hospitals that are facing significant challenges. According to the National Health Insurance Service’s latest national statistics report, four out of 10 health insurance beneficiaries treated in Seoul last year were from other regions.

Kim Mi-suk, director of the nursing department at a hospital in Chuncheon, about 45 miles (75 kilometers) from Seoul, shared with Korea Pro the challenges of working in a rural region of South Korea.

She pointed out that equipment and staffing shortages were exacerbated by a tendency for medical school graduates to flock to Seoul. This trend, coupled with the public’s preference for larger hospitals, adds additional strain. 

“Since our hospital is a mid-sized hospital, we lack the advanced equipment found in larger hospitals, especially Seoul, and our capacity to accommodate critically ill patients is limited,” Kim said.

South Korean doctors protest against the government’s plan to expand medical school quotas starting in 2025, Feb. 25, 2024 | Image: Korean Medical Association

INTERNATIONAL COMPARISONS

The National Medical College Professors’ Association has come out against the plan. 

In its statement, the association argued that a similar government initiative over the last decade in Greece increased the number of doctors in the country by threefold but failed to diffuse specializations or expand the number of doctors in rural areas.

However, many other countries, such as Germany, the U.K., France and Japan, are also expanding their medical school admission quotas as they also grapple with increasingly aging populations.

In Germany, the total quota for public medical schools exceeds 9,000, and it has decided to increase this number to around 15,000. Similarly, more than 8,600 students in the UK were admitted to 42 medical schools in 2020. This number is expected to increase to 15,000 by 2031.

However, Lim of Seoul University told Korea Pro that the situation in those countries is still unfolding, saying that “we have not yet seen a significant number of doctors in those countries choosing to move to rural areas” and that there are many variables to consider such as in rapidly changing societies like South Korea.

As South Korea moves forward with its plan to increase medical school admissions, it is crucial to consider the long-term implications. Without complementary legal reforms and economic initiatives to bolster provincial economies, there is no guarantee that the government’s initiative will succeed.

Edited by John Lee