Confusion worsens as government accepts medical exam applications despite student boycott

The government has begun the registration process for the medical practical examination as students boycott classes and exams in protest of the medical school enrollment quota increase, adding to the confusion in the education field.

Medical students think there is no reason to take the national exam while the controversy remains unresolved. Professors say there is no way to reverse the students' decision, doubting that students can properly prepare for the exam even if they take the extra test, given the disruption in medical education.

The Korea Healthcare Personnel Licensing Examination Institute accepts applications for the practical examination for doctors from Monday to Friday. The practical exam will be held over three months, from Sept. 2 to Nov. 4.

However, the number of examinees will likely drop significantly, as most medical school graduating students have declared their refusal to take the exam.

According to a survey conducted by the Korean Medical Student Association on 3,015 fourth-year students from 40 medical schools nationwide, 2,903 respondents, or 95.52 percent, refused to submit a consent form to provide personal information for the test.

Under the Medical Service Act, students expected to graduate medical school within six months are eligible for the test. So far, medical schools have submitted a list of graduating students to the institute after winning medical students’ consent to provide personal information to prove they are eligible.

This year, however, medical students did not submit the consent form to the medical school, and the list of intended graduates could not be handed over, making it impossible for them to take the exam.

Medical students say there is no reason to take the national exam unless the government resolves the causes of the problem, i.e., increasing the number of medical students. They also say it is impossible to practice properly due to the absence of senior trainee doctors in training hospitals.

“One of the main methods for medical training is apprenticeship training taught by seniors,” said a fourth-year medical student who took a leave of absence from a medical school in South Gyeongsang Province, in a telephone interview with Korea Biomedical Review on Monday. “Even if we take the national exam and get a license, there are no senior doctors to teach us at the training hospital.”

“It's not just a matter of seniors and juniors. Mixing trainers and trainees leads to a deformed training system, and training hospitals cannot accommodate all graduates. It will eventually accelerate the brain drain to the beauty sector,” he said.

The student continued, “Medical students are not asking for an immediate fix for not taking the national anthem and not finishing their practicum hours and internships,” emphasizing that the way to solve the problem is to understand the cause, not to hide the effect of the wrong policy.

Medical school professors say they are “frustrated” by the situation but recognize that it is up to the students.

“Currently, none of the fourth-year students have submitted their personal information,” said a professor at a provincial university hospital. “The dean is trying to persuade them, but it's useless because they are so firm in their stance. It's frustrating but we can't do anything.”

A professor at a Seoul-based medical college also said, “I'm worried, but I think the students are adults and will make their own decisions.”

Professors believed medical students who stay in school for one reason or another would find it difficult to prepare for the national exam in the absence of proper education.

“Eight fourth-year students remain in school but I am not sure if they will be able to prepare properly for the exam in the current situation,” another Seoul-based medical school professor said. “Before the exam, a consortium of several medical schools holds a mock Clinical Performance Examination (CPX) but this year we could not do it.”

She continued, “There are private CPX schools demanding millions of won so they might prepare somehow. However, most of the remaining fourth-year students have flunked several times and can no longer take time off from school. They don't have a peer group to study with. How can they properly prepare for the exam in such a confusing situation?”

As announced by the Ministry of Education earlier, there is a possibility of holding an additional medical national examination. However, even if medical students return, they must resolve the academic management first, as fourth-year students will not be eligible to take the national exam if they do not graduate this year.

“When the students return, the government has no choice but to allow them to take additional exams. But we don't know when they will return, and even if they do, how can they sit for the exam if they haven't completed their fourth year of school?” the professor asked.

She continued, “Fourth-year students don't have a lot of curriculum, so I'm sure they can somehow fit in the number of class days. In principle, however, it doesn’t make sense to let them graduate when they haven't met the standards.”

The medical student in South Gyeongsang Province said that even if he were allowed to take additional exams, he was not confident that he would be able to prepare properly, given the disruption in medical education over the past six to seven months.

“I am skeptical that I will be able to pass the practical exam since I have not practiced clinical skills (OSCE) and CPX at all,” he said. “Even if I can take the exam, many think it will be difficult to prepare for it while combining clinical practice and skill study for the rest of the year, making it difficult to pass.”

Meanwhile, the state institute said that if students agree to provide their personal information during the application period and are registered as graduate students, they can apply for the practical exam. It added that they will prepare for the practical exam regardless of the number of applicants.

“Except for medical school graduates who failed to submit the personal information consent form, medical school graduates can take the practical examination,” an institute official said. “However, if they register with the institute as a graduate through their medical school within the registration period, they can take the practical examination. It would be good for medical schools to spread this information.”

The official continued, “Depending on the number of candidates, the overall test period or schedule may be adjusted. However, once the registration is complete, we plan to proceed with the exam as normal regardless of the number of candidates, and we are currently preparing for this.”