Authorities noted the need to train doctors for potential outbreaks of infectious diseases,
To fill this gap, officialssaid they plan to increase enrollment in medical schools using a combination of new quotas, incentives for students in less profitable majors and those who complete a decade of public health work in rural areas.
We will increase the quota for medical students to add more staff in specialized fields.
Kim Taeyong, a lawmaker from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea
The plan is to increase the numberenrolled in medical schools by about 400 people a year over the next decade, before returning to a quota of 3,058, which has remained unchanged since 2006.
The government has said it will provide fullscholarships for approximately 300 students in fields such as epidemiology, gynecology or surgery, which are often considered unpopular in contrast to the more lucrative fields of plastic surgery and dermatology.
The Korea Medical Association (KMA) called the government's plan unnecessary, however, saying it distracts from real problems in the public health system.
National University Hospital Associationwelcomed the idea of increasing the number of doctors, but expressed concern about the uneven distribution of doctors and health facilities, with the majority of hospitals concentrated in the capital, Seoul.
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