Doctors’ association rejects gov’t proposal on flexible expansion of med school quota

The Korean Medical Association (KMA), the country's biggest lobby group for doctors, on Saturday rejected the government's proposal to grant universities autonomy in deciding their medical school quota by a range of 50 to 100 percent for the 2025 academic year. "We recognize that the government's announcement is a deliberate attempt to address the current situation," the KMA said in a statement after its emergency committee meeting. "But it is not a fundamental solution." The government announced Friday that universities would have the freedom to increase their medical school seats by 50 to 100 percent for the 2025 academic year. This move was seen as a compromise, as the government had been pushing for a total increase of 2,000 medical school admissions starting in 2025. More than 90 percent of the country's 13,000 trainee doctors have walked away from their duties at general hospitals since Feb. 20 in protest of the government's decision. Source: Yonhap News Agency