The National Association of Medical University Professors criticized the agreement among universities with medical schools to immediately reject medical students' leave applications as "an uneducational act."
The National Association noted in a statement on the 21st, "Leave of absence and reinstatement are personal matters for the students involved, and any aspect of application and approval should not be enforced under external pressure."
The "Presidents' Council for the Advancement of Medical Colleges," a gathering of presidents from 40 universities with medical schools, agreed on the 19th during a meeting to reject previously submitted leave applications by the 21st, and to handle cases of academic probation or expulsion according to the principles as stipulated in the school regulations if reasons arise.
The National Association stated, "The consensus among the presidents of 40 universities with medical schools to mechanically and uniformly reject leave applications immediately and to complete this within just two days shows a disregard for the autonomous operation of the universities as presidents," adding that "the unanimous rejection is an uneducational collective decision of the presidents, given that each university has different regulations."
They continued, "This is a means of evading responsibility that submits to government pressure rather than upholding the professional ethics and autonomy of educators, and is an uneducational consensus that goes against the advancement of medical education."
They said, "It is also not something a president should do to create anxiety among students or parents by mentioning issues like academic probation or expulsion," adding that "presidents should retract the uniform rejection of leave applications and stop intimidating students."
Finally, they noted, "In the future, students, deans, presidents, and professors should come together to have honest discussions and find paths to normalize medical education according to their respective conditions."