The number of people who graduated from foreign medical schools and are attempting to obtain a medical license in the Republic of Korea has reached the highest level ever.

According to the Korea Health and Medical Agency on the 20th, among the 194 candidates who participated in the second round of the 21st medical preliminary exam (practical exam) held on the 11th, 172 passed. The pass rate was recorded at 88.7%.

The medical preliminary exam is required for graduates from foreign medical schools recognized by the Ministry of Health and Welfare to qualify for the national medical examination in the Republic of Korea. It is conducted in two parts: a first round (written test) and a second round (practical test) every year before the medical national exam registration.

This year, the 172 successful candidates in the preliminary practical exam represented 3.1 times last year’s record of 55 passers. The pass rate also significantly increased from last year's 54.5%.

From 2005 to 2014, the number of successful candidates for the medical preliminary exam was very low, often in single digits.

However, from 2015 onwards, the number began to gradually increase, with 10 candidates passing in 2015, 30 in 2017, and 43 in 2021. Last year, for the first time, over 100 graduates from foreign medical schools took the practical exam, with 55 passing.

With a substantial increase in the number of candidates passing the preliminary exam, it is expected that the number of foreign graduates taking the national medical exam, which starts registration for the practical test on the 21st, will also rise.

In particular, due to domestic medical students refusing classes in protest against the increase in medical school admissions, the pass rate for foreign medical school graduates is anticipated to rise as the number of domestic candidates decreases.

In the case of the 89th national medical exam, the final successful candidates were announced in January, with 52 out of 269 final candidates (19.3%) being graduates from foreign medical schools.

Of the successful candidates, 39 out of 43 from Hungary passed, making it the largest group. Furthermore, candidates from Norway, Russia, the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom also had 1 to 2 successful candidates each.

Meanwhile, according to statistics released on the 20th by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of residents returning to work at "Big 5" hospitals doubled compared to the end of last year due to the returning residents who resigned amid conflicts between the medical community and the government, but it is still only at 20% of the pre-conflict level.

Image source: Candidates entering the examination hall during the national practical exam for dentists held at Seoul National University School of Dentistry in Jongno-gu, Seoul, in 2021. / News1, supplementary materials for understanding the article / News1, medical personnel moving around a university hospital in Seoul on the 14th. / News1