Med school deans struggle to align graduation timeline as students return

As medical students prepare to return to school, medical school deans are grappling with difficult decisions.

Discussions are ongoing about how to adjust the academic calendar and graduation dates for each year, as this issue is closely tied to the supply of medical workforce.

While there are discussions about having fourth-year medical students graduate in August next year, opinions are divided on when third-year students should graduate, with some suggesting February 2027 and others suggesting August 2027

The Korean Association of Medical Colleges (KAMC) held its second meeting in two days on Tuesday to continue discussions on measures to normalize medical education, including academic schedules. At this meeting, opinions will likely be gathered on the academic schedule and graduation timing for third-year undergraduate students, taking into account preparations for the national medical licensing exam and the start of residency training.

However, it will not be easy to reach a unified conclusion as the situation varies among medical schools. At the first meeting on Monday, 18 of the 40 medical schools stated that the graduation date for third-year undergraduate students should be February 2027, while nine suggested that August 2027 would be more suitable.

“There are differences in scale between schools. Schools with fewer students have fewer professors. Some schools have had heavy clinical burdens until recently, making it difficult to establish a tight educational schedule,” a medical school dean said. “If the graduation timing for students varies, the timing for the national medical licensing exam will also change, creating the burden of preparing for the exam twice. This could also lead to issues of fairness among students.”

“The most important thing is the quality of student education. There is no disagreement that the return of medical students and residents should proceed swiftly. However, since we are prioritizing the quality of education and training, there are concerns,” the dean said. “While we need to reach a unified opinion, it is not easy due to the differing situations at each medical school. We plan to compile opinions at the second meeting.”

KAMC plans to compile the results of discussions on issues, including the graduation timing for third-year undergraduate students by the morning of the same day and submit them to the Council of Presidents for the Advancement of Medical Schools (CPAMS), a group of 40 university presidents. CPAMS will hold a meeting on Thursday to finalize discussions on measures for the return of medical students.

Regionally, various opinions are being exchanged on related issues. In South Jeolla Province, the Jeollanamdo Medical Association and the Chosun University College of Medicine’s dean's council, the alumni association, and the medical students' emergency committee held a meeting last Friday to discuss the return of medical students and academic operations.

At the meeting, the participants agreed to join forces to normalize education, identifying the graduation date for fourth-year students, separate classes for the 2024 and 2025 academic years, and tuition fees for students who fail to graduate on time as key issues for the return of students.

“The medical crisis that has continued for over a year is entering a phase of resolution,” Jeollanamdo Medical Association President Choi Chang-woon said. “Today’s meeting reaffirmed the commitment of the regional medical community to work together to ensure the smooth return of medical students.”