Trainee doctor recruitment begins Tuesday, varies by hospital

The government will begin recruiting additional trainee doctors starting Tuesday.

Junior doctors who return to work in May and begin training on June 1 will be recognized as having completed regular training and will be eligible to take the specialty exam in February next year.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced Monday that it would conduct additional recruitment of trainee doctors accordingly. 

The additional recruitment is in response to recommendations from the training field, as represented by the Korean Medical Association, the Korea Council of Training Hospitals, and the Korea Hospital Association. Each recruiting hospital will conduct the recruitment autonomously from Tuesday to the end of May.

If the successful candidates start training on June 1, they will be treated as regular trainees and will be eligible to take the specialty examination in February next year. However, the training period will not be shortened as for those who returned in March.

Even if the original hospital, department, and annual quotas have been filled by existing cohorts, an additional quota will be allocated for returning trainees.

The issue of returning to training hospitals after military discharge will be reviewed, taking into account the future supply and demand of medical personnel, military resources, and fairness to existing returnees.

The ministry will continue to implement the tasks already reflected in the budget and those finalized through the Health Insurance Policy Review Committee,.including adjustments to the essential medical package requested by junior doctors through consultation. However, it will listen to the voices of the field to supplement the previously announced healthcare reform tasks that need to be concretized.

The ministry announced the specific recruitment process and application qualifications on the Korea Hospital Association's website on Monday.