As early as the end of this month, foreign doctors with medical licenses will be able to practice medicine and surgery in South Korea. In a move to fill vacancies left by trainee doctors who resigned en masse in February, these foreign doctors are expected to be assigned to large hospitals, including training hospitals, after receiving government approval.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) announced on May 8 that it would issue a legislative notice by May 20 regarding amendments to the Implementing Rules of the Medical Act. An MOHW official said, “As the healthcare disaster alert is currently at the ‘severe’ stage, we will move forward as quickly as possible so that the revised enforcement rules can be implemented in late May or early June.”
Analysts suggest that the Korean government has resorted to the ‘foreign doctor introduction’ measure following the enactment of the Nursing Act, which institutionalizes physician assistants (PAs) nurses to prevent national healthcare policy from being affected by doctors’ collective actions opposing the expansion of medical school quotas.
Under the current law, foreign doctors must graduate from a designated medical school in a designated country to practice medicine in Korea. They must then obtain their home country’s medical license and pass the Korean Medical Licensing Preliminary Examination and the National Board Examination. The preliminary exam is exclusive to foreign doctors, assessing their basic knowledge and eligibility for the Korean medical license exam. Candidates must take and pass three exams to become a licensed doctor.
However, under the ‘severe’ stage of the healthcare disaster alert, foreign doctors will be allowed to work in Korea for a certain period as long as they hold a foreign medical license, without any restrictions on their home country or medical school.
The MOHW emphasized that “the MOHW will screen foreign doctors before being assigned to a hospital.” Only those deemed suitable by the MOHW will be permitted to practice medicine and surgery under the management and supervision of a specialist responsible for overseeing foreign doctors at each hospital.
The Korean government’s change aims to minimize the healthcare gap caused by trainee doctors’ departures. Foreign doctors are expected to work for a specific contract period in essential medical departments of large hospitals that have vacancies due to trainee doctors’ resignations.
Applicants are expected to be mostly overseas Koreans who have obtained foreign medical licenses or Koreans who pursued medical studies abroad after graduating from Korean middle and high schools. Working as doctors in large Korean hospitals provides them an advantage in practical assessments like the preliminary examination for obtaining a Korean medical license.
