Medical students oppose enrollment hikes without safeguards for education quality

As discussions on increasing medical school enrollment quotas gain momentum following the Medical Workforce Supply and Demand Projection Committee's announcement, medical students have voiced strong opposition.

They said discussing enrollment expansion without first verifying the adequacy of medical education conditions is irresponsible.

Medical students say discussing enrollment increases without assessing educational conditions is irresponsible. (Credit: Getty Images)

“Students from the classes of 2024 and 2025 are simultaneously undergoing training at many medical schools nationwide,” said a group of medical students representing these cohorts in a statement on Monday. “Problems that directly undermine educational quality are already occurring or are expected to emerge. These include shortages of lecture halls and practice rooms, faculty overload, and reduced opportunities for clinical training.”

The students added, “This is not merely an inconvenience or a temporary disruption. Producing doctors without sufficient education and training could lower the overall quality of medical care and raise patient safety concerns. Ultimately, the burden would fall on the public.”

Medical students said the government must first assess deteriorating educational conditions before considering any further enrollment increases.

“Expanding enrollment quotas without guaranteeing educational quality is difficult to justify, regardless of the policy objective,” they said. “Focusing solely on numbers without verifying current educational conditions is irresponsible, and the burden will inevitably be passed on to students and the public.”

The students also called on the government to immediately conduct a comprehensive review of changes in educational conditions and the qualitative impact on training arising from the concurrent education of the 2024 and 2025 cohorts, and to publicly disclose the findings.

“This review should not be a one-off measure,” they said. “It must lead to regular inspections over the next three to five years, covering all aspects of educational infrastructure, including lecture and practical training spaces, faculty resources, and clinical training capacity relative to student numbers.”

Pointing to areas where educational quality is at risk of declining, the student representatives said concrete improvement plans backed by financial and administrative support are urgently needed.

“Expanding enrollment quotas without such measures will only increase pressure at the educational frontlines,” they added.