[의사유변] Korea’s medical crisis causes more concern about next year

Nine months have passed since the government announced its unilateral policy to increase the number of medical schools, and the legislative conflict that has arisen since then is still ongoing without any clues to its resolution.

The government is promoting a policy related to increasing the number of medical schools as a way to expand essential medical care and improve public health, but it did not sufficiently discuss with the medical community during the policy establishment process and was a unilateral decision that did not reflect the opinions of experts. As a result, residents resigned and medical students took a leave of absence, causing strong opposition within the medical community. Residents and medical students who left medical fields and schools wasted a year, and it is still unclear whether they will return unless this problem is resolved.

The current medical field is extremely difficult. Tertiary general hospitals where medical residents mainly work are reducing treatment and surgery, and hospital management is worsening day by day, reducing the number of hospital rooms and medical personnel. The resulting damage is borne entirely by patients. It is ironic that the government’s policy of increasing the number of medical schools, citing a shortage of doctors, actually created the current doctor shortage. In particular, the side effects of the medical school expansion policy, which will begin in earnest next year, may be much more serious than expected, and the difficulties in the medical field will increase.

A resident is not a doctor who only studies at a hospital. They are the most essential personnel needed to perform specialized treatment and surgery in emergency rooms and intensive care units. The absence of medical residents at tertiary general hospitals caused many disruptions in the emergency rooms, intensive care units, and surgeries where they were centrally responsible. Professional nurses are being brought in to replace the work of residents, but the areas of work they can do are clearly different, making replacement impossible.

In the end, the work is falling on existing specialists, which will lead to excessive workload, which will ultimately lead to a decrease in the efficiency of patient care and the quality of treatment. The remaining specialists at tertiary general hospitals are also worried about how long they will continue to practice in this way. The government plans to transform tertiary general hospitals into specialist-centered hospitals, but no new specialists are being produced and existing specialists are considering leaving, so they are attempting the impossible.

The deterioration of medical school education starting next year is a predicted accident. Efforts to train doctors are a very difficult and long process. In medical school, many courses are needed to develop various capabilities, including not only academic knowledge but also clinical experience, humane knowledge, and communication skills with patients. To achieve this, rigorous classes and practical training are conducted.

Increasing the number of medical schools is not simply about increasing the number of doctors, but is about creating an environment where new doctors can receive proper education. In accordance with the policy hastily announced by the government, sufficient faculty, educational infrastructure, and practical training opportunities have not been provided to accommodate the number of new medical schools. As a result, concerns that medical school education starting next year will deteriorate in quality are unfounded.

The issue of increasing the number of medical school students is not simply a matter of numbers; it is an issue that requires deep consideration about the entire Korean medical system. The policy of increasing the number of medical schools that was not agreed upon is actually causing major side effects in the medical community, and this policy, which will begin in earnest next year, may cause a more serious crisis than expected. Doctors also desperately need cooperation with the government to strengthen communication with the government and build a medical system that prioritizes the health and safety of the people. Otherwise, the crisis in the medical community will deepen, and ultimately the public will suffer the most.

Park Jong-wan, Chief of Neurology, Daegu Fatima Hospital