Posted 4/1/2024, 10:06:59 AM
South Korean President Holds Firm on Medical School Expansion Despite Ongoing Doctor Strike
- South Korean president vows not to back down on plan to increase medical school admissions despite ongoing doctors' strike
- Goal is to add 2,000 new medical students per year to address doctor shortage, especially in rural areas and essential fields like pediatrics
- About 12,000 medical residents & interns have been on strike for 6 weeks, leading to canceled surgeries and resignations by senior doctors
- President says doctor-to-patient ratio in South Korea is below developed world average and more doctors urgently needed due to aging population
- Strikers make up small percentage of total doctors but account for 30-40% in some major hospitals; government threatens to suspend licenses but wants to avoid punishing young doctors