South Korea is facing a severe shortage of doctors, as thousands of trainee doctors have resigned en masse to protest the government’s plan to increase the number of medical students.
The mass resignations have caused disruptions and delays in the health care system, especially in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The trainee doctors say they are overworked and underpaid, and that the government’s plan will worsen the quality and sustainability of the medical profession.
The government’s plan, announced in February 2024, is to increase the number of students admitted to medical schools by 4,000 over the next 10 years, starting from 2025. The government says the plan is necessary to address the expected shortage of 15,000 doctors by 2035, due to the aging population, the uneven distribution of doctors across regions and specialties, and the increasing demand for health care services.
The trainee doctors, who are interns and residents in hospitals, are opposing the government’s plan, saying that it will not solve the root causes of the doctor shortage, but rather create more problems and burdens for the existing doctors. The trainee doctors argue that:
The mass resignations of trainee doctors, which began on February 19, 2024, have had significant impacts and consequences for the health care system and the society, such as:
South Korea is facing a doctorless crisis, as thousands of trainee doctors have resigned en masse to protest the government’s plan to increase the number of medical students. The mass resignations have caused disruptions and delays in the healthcare system, especially in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The trainee doctors say they are overworked and underpaid, and that the government’s plan will worsen the quality and sustainability of the medical profession. The government says the plan is necessary to address the expected shortage of 15,000 doctors by 2035, due to the aging population, the uneven distribution of doctors across regions and specialties, and the increasing demand for health care services. The mass resignations have also caused conflicts and divisions in the medical community, and protests and debates in the society, as the issue has become a source of controversy and contention.
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