Medical students must return — for themselves and the public

A medical school student attends a graduation ceremony at a medical school in Seoul on Feb. 24. [YONHAP]

 
More than a year after the government announced its plan to increase medical school admissions by 2,000 students, the disruption in medical education is approaching a critical turning point. Roughly half the nation’s 40 medical schools have set this week as the final deadline for students to return and are making last-ditch efforts to persuade them to resume their studies. Several schools — including Kyungpook National University, Korea University, Yonsei University and CHA University’s School of Medicine — closed registration and re-enrollment applications on March 21. While precise figures have not been released, these institutions report that about half their medical students have chosen to return.
 
This is a belated yet welcome development. Whatever the circumstances, the fact that a significant number of students are coming back is both natural and encouraging. It is high time for the prolonged disruption in medical education to end and for schools to return to normal operations.
 
The government has declared it will scale back next year’s medical school admissions to the pre-expansion level of 3,058 students — but only on the condition that students return to the classroom. The decision, while controversial, comes at considerable political and societal cost. The damage caused by a year of disrupted education has already been profound. A repeat of such dysfunction is simply unacceptable.
 
Some critics argue that it will be difficult to provide quality education to the incoming Class of 2024 and the following Class of 2025 — nearly 7,600 students in total — if they begin simultaneously. But this cannot be used as a justification for continuing the boycott. If classes do not resume this year, next year’s incoming class could exceed 10,000 students, further compounding the crisis. This cycle must be broken now.
 

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Students still undecided about returning must take a clear-eyed view of reality. Abiding by university regulations is a basic responsibility. Schools have made it explicit: those who fail to register by the deadline will be expelled for nonenrollment. Any student who knowingly ignores the rules must face the consequences. It is also crucial to remember that medical residents who have resigned with valid licenses and students who are expelled are in fundamentally different positions.
 
If some are holding out, assuming the rules will eventually bend in their favor, they are gravely mistaken. Seeking special treatment or leniency by defying legitimate academic policies will only alienate public opinion and undermine their own aspirations of becoming doctors.
 
At some universities, senior students are reportedly pressuring their juniors to boycott registration. Such behavior is deeply irresponsible. Cyberbullying and other forms of coercion will be met with serious legal repercussions. Every adult is accountable for their own decisions, and no one can take on that responsibility in their place. 
 

Medical staff walk inside Seoul National University Hospital in Jongno District, central Seoul on Feb. 25. [YONHAP]

 
Universities must remain steadfast in upholding academic principles. For schools where the registration deadline has not yet passed, it is vital that as many students as possible return and contribute to restoring the normal rhythm of medical education. 
 
Translated using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.