Medical schools are becoming increasingly popular in South Korea, but the shortage of doctors is a contradiction

On the 16th of this month, the University Scholastic Aptitude Test (Scholastic Aptitude Test), which is the common test for university entrance in Japan, was held in South Korea. Approximately 504,000 people took the Shuno exam this year. Korea is known as a “super-educated society”
Currently, ``emphasis on medical schools'' is becoming a problem in Japan. Cram schools and preparatory schools are trying to make it sound like ``those with the highest grades should go to medical school,'' and even if they enter Seoul University, the most difficult school, they will be ``masked ronin'' and will not go to medical school.
Some students are attempting to take the undergraduate entrance exam. While medical schools are becoming increasingly popular, South Korea is currently facing a shortage of doctors.
In South Korea, the TV series “SKY Castle ~Wives of the Upper Class~” (2
018-2019 broadcast) became a Hot Topic. Set in SKY Castle, an upscale residential area where the wealthy live, the story is about parents trying to get their children admitted to a famous university's medical school by any means possible.
The picture was drawn and recorded high viewer ratings. It was later broadcast in Japan. Although the TV series uses a lot of exaggerated expressions, it gives a glimpse into the intense entrance exam situation in South Korea.
Ru. Also, in the TV series, "SKY" is used as the name of a high-class residential area, but in the exam world, "SKY" is used to refer to Seoul University, Korea University, and Yong Kong University, which are recognized as prestigious universities in Korea.
It is an acronym for Yonsei University. South Korea's emphasis on educational attainment shows no signs of slowing down, but recently there has been a marked emphasis on medical school entrance exams. Man
The reason for this is that being a doctor is a high-paying and stable profession. According to the Organization for Economic Development (OECD)'s 2023 Health Statistics, the annual salary of Korean doctors in 2021 is 269 million won (
Approximately 31.02 million yen). The average income of medical practitioners was 6.8 times that of general workers. The pass rate for South Korea's national medical examination is approximately 95%, and passing medical school effectively opens the door to becoming a doctor.
Regarding the actual situation of ``emphasis on medical school,'' the Korean newspaper Hankyoreh said, ``Not everyone is like that, but for the time being, their suitability is not asked or questioned. Even if they are interested in a different major,
However, if it seems that his grades have improved a little, he will be recommended (by the preparatory school personnel) for medical school. If your grades at the cram school are in the top range, you will be transferred to the ``medical school class'' even if you do not wish to attend medical school.''
did. Even at cram schools and preparatory schools, there is an atmosphere in which students with high grades are encouraged to apply for medical school, saying, ``If you have good grades, aim for medical school.'' The situation is gradually escalating, and recently cram schools have started targeting elementary school students.
There are even preparatory classes for medical school entrance exams. Meanwhile, South Korea is currently facing a shortage of doctors. However, compared to the rest of the world, South Korea does not lack the number of doctors and hospitals. has become a problem
This is because there is an overwhelming shortage of doctors in rural areas, and because doctors avoid essential medical fields such as internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, and pediatrics in favor of cosmetic surgery and dermatology, resulting in life-threatening injuries. straight
This is due to the lack of doctors in essential medical fields. In response to this situation, the South Korean government announced in October that it would expand the capacity of medical schools starting in 2025. For this reason, in the future, the School of Medicine
It is expected that its popularity will further increase. There are hopes that the popularity of medical schools will be a trump card to resolve the shortage of doctors, but it seems that the story is not so simple. It is too much to encourage the bias towards medical schools.
It may not be too long. ``If I get high grades and become a ronin, I'll probably get into medical school.'' ``I want a high salary and stability.'' Due to the tendency to place too much emphasis on medical school entrance exams, people are not clear about their readiness and aspirations to become a doctor.
What will happen if the number of medical students increases? Even if they later become doctors, it is hard to imagine that they will actively choose to specialize in the essential medical fields that are understaffed as mentioned above.
Hwang Bo-young, an editorial writer for the Korean newspaper Hankyoreh, wrote in a column, ``The bias towards medical schools is nothing but a microcosm of the chronic problems facing Korean society.''
It pointed out.