"It's not a five-year obligation". The government...Medical Students "No Return"

[Anchor]
The government has announced that it will come up with a plan to shorten the curriculum from six years to five years with conditional approval for medical students to take a leave of absence.

As the controversy continued, he explained that it was not mandatory for all universities to reduce it.

However, despite a series of carrot measures, including flexible academic management, approval of leave of absence, and reorganization of the school system, the medical students, who are involved in it, drew a line that they had no intention of going back.

Reporter Baek Jong-gyu's report.

[Reporter]
The Ministry of Education sent an official letter to 40 medical schools nationwide regarding emergency measures to normalize their academic records.

It is about approval of a leave of absence on the premise of returning to the first semester of next year and a plan to shorten the six-year medical school curriculum to a maximum of five years.

As the government wishes, if medical students on leave of absence return next year, more than 7,500 first graders will have to take classes at once next year.

In addition, the approval of a leave of absence will stop the production of 3,000 new doctors in 2030, and as a countermeasure against this situation, a plan to reduce the curriculum by one year has been proposed.

[Oh Seok-hwan / Vice Minister of Education (last 6th): Over time, we are faced with such a reality that it is difficult to operate a school. That's why we put student protection as our top priority in the current situation....]

Minister of Health and Welfare Cho Kyu-hong also agreed with the Ministry of Education, saying in a parliamentary audit that he does not oppose the quality of education if it is guaranteed.

Nevertheless, the Ministry of Education has begun to evolve as voices of concern about poor medical school education have risen both inside and outside the medical community.

I'm not saying that I'm going to shorten the curriculum uniformly and coercively, but I'm saying that I'll apply if universities choose.

He also explained that in the United States, if there is a special situation, the curriculum is compressed to discharge military doctors.

Medical students dismissed the possibility of returning, saying they would not be swayed by the government's manipulation of only absurd measures.

The Ministry of Education criticized the oppression of not recognizing legitimate leave of absence, saying it was an infringement on student rights, and it was nothing short of coercion and intimidation.

He also argued that it doesn't make sense to shorten it to five years in the medical school's academic schedule, which opens in January and is tight all year round.

The Ministry of Education seems to be expecting students to return next year, saying that it will not be until February next year to confirm the intention of taking a leave of absence from school for 18,000.

However, medical students are still in the position that they cannot take a step back from the abolition of the reinforcement, so it is unclear whether the government's prescription will be effective this time.

I'm BAEK JONG KYU of YTN.