What's next for medical student quota hike?

법원 집행정지 기각, 의대 증원의 미래는?
The Seoul high court has rejected the medical community’s efforts to block the government’s plan to drastically boost medical school admissions.
The ruling gave the government a major boost to push through the plan paving the way for Korea’s first medical student quota hike in 27 years.
The presidential office said this has ‘concluded’ the spiraling controversy over the issue urging striking doctors to return to hospitals, but they’re showing no intention of heading back.
The head of the Korea Medical Association even called the court’s decision as “the final death sentence” that will ruin the medical system.
What’s next for the medical student quota hike?
For some clues, we have Song Se-ryun, Professor of Law at Kyung Hee University joining us.
We also have Dr. Alice Tan, an internist at MizMedi Women's Hospital with us tonight.
(SONG) Q1. Let’s first look into the details of the ruling. Explain for us the key points made by the court upon its delivery of the ruling.
(TAN) Q2. The ruling has posed a major setback to doctors’ concerted efforts to stop the medical student hike, but striking trainee doctors are not backing down. They say they have no intention of returning to hospitals, while medical professors are looking to expand their weekly breaks and initiate a one-week suspension of medical services in protest. Tell us more about how doctors are responding to the ruling.
(SONG) Q3. The Presidential office has called on medical schools to expedite procedures to finalize enrollment expansion so it can be reflected from next year. What are the remaining legal procedures?
(SONG) Q4. While the government pushed to finalize medical schools' quota expansion, doctors association appealed to the Supreme Court. Attorney Lee Byung-cheol representing doctors' side expects the top court’s decision to come as early as this month. What’s the expected trajectory from here, and what are some possible variables going forward?
(TAN) Q5. As the government-doctor standoff deepens, medical void is growing in hospitals. And as part of efforts to fill that void, the government has allowed foreign doctors to practice medicine at hospitals. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo assured the public that the government will take steps to ensure that only qualified foreign doctors can practice in Korea. What’s your take on this?
(TAN) Q6. The government is looking to establish a defense medical school where long-term service military doctors will be trained. Some 200 military doctors have been dispatched to fill medical void since doctors' walkout began, and it seems that the move is part of government efforts to enhance public health care services in national emergencies. What are your thoughts on this?
(SONG) Q7. The government, issued an ultimatum today that under the relevant law, junior doctors must return to their worksites within three months of departure to qualify for next year's fellowship exam. Today marks exactly three months since trainee doctors launched a nationwide strike so this means the majority of striking doctors have until midnight to return to hospitals, but doctors argue otherwise. What's the accurate interpretation of related laws?
(TAN) Q8. It looks like doctors won't respond to the government's calls for dialogue. What more efforts are needed at this stage to strike up a conversation between the two sides, and ultimately to find a breakthrough to end the prolonged medical deadlock?
And that brings us to the end of this show.
Thank you for watching, and be sure to tune in same time tomorrow to join our conversation.
Good bye for now.
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2024-05-20, 18:30 (KST)

[@ahtan2771]

Thank you to Professor Song (I misspoke his name during the interview) for clearly laying out the limitations of a legal approach to this government policy issue. Doctors and medical students are looking for a neutral mediator, but it’s hard when you’re fighting against the federal government, and it unilaterally insists on “my way or the high way.” Medical students are arguing that their right to an education will be infringed by nearly doubling the number of incoming students, with less than one year for medical schools to prepare.