Surge in Medical Students Taking Military Leave Raises Concerns Over Military Medical Personnel Supply

Recently, it has been reported that the number of medical students giving up their service as military doctors and public health doctors to enlist as active-duty soldiers has surged.

According to data submitted to Member of the National Assembly Seo Myung-ok from the Ministry of Education on the 15th, the total number of medical students taking military leave for the first semester of the 2025 academic year amounts to 2,074.

This trend is expected to cause serious disruptions in the supply of military medical personnel.

According to the data, the number of medical students choosing military leave has significantly increased since last year. In 2023, there were 208 students and 210 students on military leave, whereas last year, the numbers jumped to 602 in the first semester and 1,147 in the second semester. Notably, this represents an increase of more than ten times compared to the first semester of 2023 before the conflict between the government and the medical community.

This increase is attributed to universities warning that unregistered medical students may face expulsion, leading many students to choose enlistment to maintain their student status.

The Korean Public Health Doctors Association (KPHA) also reported that 1,882 medical students had enlisted as active-duty soldiers or in social service roles from last year to early this year. The KPHA expects that more than double the number of medical students will enlist this year compared to last year, projecting the total to exceed 3,000.

Generally, medical students serve as military doctors or public health doctors as 'mandatory officer candidates' after graduation. However, an increase in the number of medical students enlisting as active-duty soldiers may lead to problems in the supply of military medical personnel. In particular, the service period for military doctors and public health doctors is twice as long as that of active-duty soldiers, lasting 36 months, leading to avoidance behavior.

In response, Lee Seong-hwan, president of the KPHA, criticized the Ministry of Health and Welfare for having no measures in place and stated, "I have continuously argued for a need to shorten military service. It is empty rhetoric to suggest shortening military service only after a problem arises." He further added, "Many public health doctors are in despair as requests for even short-term improvements in treatment have not been reflected," urging the Ministry to convene an immediate countermeasure meeting.

Image source: Archive photo to help understand the article / gettyimagesbank, on March 27 last year, a military doctor wearing military uniform and boots under a gown walks at a university hospital in Daegu. On this day, the government reportedly deployed 200 public health doctors and military doctors to the medical field to respond to the medical gap. 2024.3.27/ News 1