Kim Tae-hyun, the Chairperson of the Korean Health Economics Policy Association, has been elected as the head of the independent review body to estimate how many doctors will be needed in the future.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare held the first meeting of the Doctor Workforce Supply Estimation Committee at T Tower in Jung-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of Dec. 12, electing the Chairperson and discussing the future operational schedule of the committee.
Chairperson Kim, a professor at Yonsei University Graduate School of Public Health, is a Commissioner who has received overlapping recommendations from academic and research institutions and provider organizations. Following the election of the Chairperson, discussions have begun to determine methods for estimating the medium- to long-term doctor workforce supply, including the scale of medical school enrollment for 2027.
Immediately after being elected, Chairperson Kim said, "I will do my best to ensure that the estimation of the doctor workforce is carried out scientifically and objectively." He urged the Commissioners, saying, "Many experts have been recommended from various sectors, and rather than representing the institutions or organizations that recommended you, please have in-depth discussions on the most rational way to estimate the doctor workforce supply from a professional perspective."
From the first meeting on that day, the estimation committee will commence serious discussions on methods, assumptions, and variables for medium- to long-term predictions of doctor workforce supply.
The enrollment capacity for the 2026 academic year for medical schools is 3,058 students, the same level as before the increase. The size of the enrollment for 2027 will be determined based on discussions from this committee. The ministry stated, "The discussions of the committee will be the foundation for medical school enrollment and doctor workforce policy after 2027."
Previously, the ministry appointed 15 Commissioners for the Doctor Workforce Supply Estimation Committee on 31st of last month. According to the Basic Health and Medical Act, the committee consists of more than half of the recommended Commissioners from healthcare provider organizations such as the Korean Medical Association Organization, the Korean Intern Resident Association (KIRA), along with 4 recommended from consumer organizations like the National Health and Medical Industry Union and 3 recommended from academic and research institutions.