Postponement of Medical School Class Normalization Plan Announcement... Was the Controversy Over Preferential Treatment a Burden?

[Financial News] It seems that the 40 medical schools in Korea will eventually decide on the normalization plan for medical school classes autonomously. Initially, the Ministry of Education and the Council of University Presidents for Medical School Advancement (UCPMSA) planned to announce the return plan for medical students on the 24th, but abruptly canceled it after 6 hours. The Ministry of Education stated that further discussion was needed as there was no agreement on the graduation timing for third and fourth-year medical students, but insiders analyzed that the decision was influenced by the worsening public opinion on 'preferential treatment for medical students'.
According to the education sector on the 24th, each university agreed on a broad framework to fail students in the first semester but allow them to return in the second semester. The issue is the graduation timing for third and fourth-year students. Opinions were divided between February and August graduation next year, and it is reported that a compromise of May graduation was reached. Instead, an additional national medical examination will be conducted, and the 12-month internship period for third and fourth-year students will be shortened to 9 months.
As concerns grow that such a plan could provoke public backlash, both the Prime Minister's Office and the Ministry of Education canceled the announcement, stepping back. The Prime Minister's Office conveyed to the Ministry of Education that further consultation would be better, ultimately canceling the briefing on the normalization plan for medical education.
One insider said, "This issue is perceived as a matter of educational fairness beyond simple academic administration, and the public scrutiny would have been very burdensome." In fact, this public outrage is clearly evident in the National Consent Petition in the National Assembly. The petition opposing 'preferential treatment for returning medical students and residents' surpassed 60,000 signatures on the 24th, strongly pressuring the government to reconsider its policy. The petition mainly criticizes that "some medical students and residents are expecting preferential treatment by demanding to return after voluntarily refusing education and training, which is contrary to fairness and deepens public deprivation."
Moreover, the problem is not just the controversy over preferential treatment. Concerns are being raised that adjusting the academic schedule to shorten the graduation time and the internship period could degrade the quality of education. A medical industry insider pointed out, "It is nearly impossible to cover the entire existing curriculum in the shortened period," adding, "If even the essential practice hours are reduced, it could cause serious deficiencies in the competency as a doctor." There is a warning that if it leads to inadequate education, it could have a fatal impact on the safety of future patients.
Additionally, there is concern that medical students who have already returned, enduring the mockery of being called 'Gamgyul' (a derogatory term for those who returned to studies after leaving collective action), could be burdened even more. 'Gamgyul' is slang that derogatorily refers to medical students who returned to studies after leaving collective action, and they could again become targets of internal conflict and external criticism due to the government's preferential policies.
A student representative from another university emphasized, "We follow strict academic regulations, and if exceptions are applied only to medical students, the principles of the educational field will collapse," stressing the urgent need for government protection and consideration for students who are diligently pursuing their studies. monarch@fnnews.com Reporter Kim Man-gi