Rejuvenating core medical specialties

The Korean government aims to expand medical school admissions to address the rising demand for healthcare services due to the growing aging population and the medical vacuum in essential medical and rural areas. Research from The Dong-A Ilbo on industrialized nations with a larger number of doctors than Korea reveals that, along with supplying an increasing number of doctors, various strategies are employed to attract healthcare professionals to primary care. Simply increasing the number of doctors may not guarantee sufficient coverage in critical medical areas.

The Korean medical industry faces a significant challenge, with many professionals gravitating towards aesthetic medicine. Germany has effectively tackled a similar issue by enhancing incentives for core medical practitioners and implementing limits on privately practicing clinics per district and medical specialty. As a result, Germany boasts 1.47 surgeons per 1,000 people, more than double the number in Korea. Most of the industrialized nations, including Germany, now cover legal fees for essential medical personnel. Many of these policies also mandate doctors to carry medical compensation insurance, with governments shouldering a significant portion of the premiums. For instance, in Taiwan, the ratio of obstetrics and gynecology applications reportedly increased from 74% to 94% after the government started compensating patients for birth accidents, even those not caused by medical negligence.

In response to challenges similar to Korea, Japan adopted a "provincial doctor quota" policy in 2007. This policy selects and designates a specific portion of medical students for scholarships, requiring them to serve in medically underserved areas for a decade. As a result, the number of doctors practicing in rural areas increased in 2018 by 12% compared to eight years ago. Japan also tackled the issue of emergency patients being repeatedly rejected by multiple ERs. Tokyo implemented the "Tokyo Rule," which mandates medical centers to rotate in accepting emergency patients turned away by five other ERs. Conversely, Osaka has established an emergency network to secure immediate hospital placement for such patients. These Japanese urban centers have shown effective strategies, unlike their Korean counterparts, where uncoordinated hospitals and emergency medical staff often experience crucial delays while engaged in phone discussions searching for available beds, ultimately causing them to miss the critical window for timely patient care.

Doctors in many countries tend to avoid challenging and risky core medical areas. However, these countries provide financial and legal safeguards for medical professionals working in these areas, making it more rewarding for doctors to save lives. Like its peers, Korea can adopt policies to enhance compensation for core medical specialties, cover legal fees for doctors, and establish a medical emergency network. It would be appropriate to review implementing measures such as restricting the number of clinics in each district and medical specialty, along with setting doctor quotas for provinces, as they may prove successful in Korea if tailored to local needs.