[From Gwanghwamun] New Medical Schools Alone Will Not Revive Regional Healthcare

The decision over where to build new national medical schools in Jeonnam-Gwangju and Gyeongbuk is entering its final stage. In Jeonnam-Gwangju, Suncheon National University was chosen over Mokpo National University as the final candidate. In Gyeongbuk, Gyeongbuk National University in Andong submitted its application.

The planned medical school capacity is 100 students. Because Gyeongbuk National University applied for 50 places, there is talk that both regions could receive so-called mini medical schools with 50 students each.

The case for expanding medical infrastructure is strong in both areas. Gyeongbuk is the only metropolitan local government in South Korea without a medical school. Jeonnam also had none before its integration with Gwangju. Their doctor-to-population ratios rank among the lowest nationwide.

Residents in these medically underserved regions sometimes travel hundreds of kilometers to find an emergency room. Those needing treatment for serious illnesses may also have to travel to the Seoul metropolitan area. Their desperation clearly supports expanding local medical infrastructure.

Yet the recent mudslinging between Suncheon National University and Mokpo National University casts doubt on the real purpose of establishing a new medical school. After Suncheon was selected as the final candidate for Jeonnam-Gwangju, politicians in the Mokpo area reacted angrily. The dispute suggests that creating a medical school will not, by itself, repair regional healthcare.