The Ministry of Education said on the 12th that the number of medical students in the first year for the next academic year will be in the range of 5,500 to 6,100.
Director General Kim Hong-soon of the Ministry of Education noted during a regular briefing held at the Government Sejong Center that "there will not be a case where 10,000 medical students are simultaneously educated next year."
Earlier, the Ministry of Education announced that among 19,475 medical students across 40 medical schools nationwide, 8,305, or 42.6%, have been confirmed as being at risk of failing. In addition, 46 students (0.2%) are at risk of being expelled.
There were concerns that if students from the classes of 2024, 2025, and 2026 all return next year, more than 10,000 medical students could simultaneously attend first-year classes.
Medical schools have a six-year curriculum, consisting of two years of pre-medical training and four years of medical education. Due to conflicts over the government's expansion of medical school enrollment last year, first-year students from the classes of 2024 and 2025 are all in pre-medical school. Adding next year's freshmen could result in more than 10,000 students.
Director General Kim explained, "Considering the current maximum of 2,000 students attending classes, 2,700 students needing to take normal classes in the second semester due to academic warnings and one subject registration, 475 students from the class of 2024 who took a year off last second semester, and 560 students from the classes of 2024 and 2025 who are on military leave, there is no difficulty in educating 6,000 students in pre-medical school."
He added regarding medical education, "There may be fluctuations when 5,500 to 6,100 students who received first-year education next year move to the medical program." He noted, "There are times when current medical students will go to the military and variables such as pre-medical students going to the military or transferring schools."
Director General Kim also addressed a question about whether individual universities could defer surgical students' failing and expulsion measures, saying, "The universities have already confirmed the students who are at risk of failing or expulsion and sent official documents. Changing the decision will not be easy, as it was received after internal approval when the documents were received."
He also stated, "The Ministry of Education has the authority to guide and inspect the academic affairs."