The 'Regional Doctor System' has been introduced to prevent the collapse of local healthcare and ensure a stable supply of essential and public medical personnel. It will select its first candidates through the 2027 college admissions process starting September 7. While the government and local authorities will cover full tuition and dormitory fees for six years of medical school, graduates will be legally required to work in the designated region for ten years after obtaining their medical license.
As expectations and concerns swirl among students and parents, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Education have released a guide and FAQ to clarify key issues, including eligibility, training, and mandatory service regulations.
On September 3, the ministries announced that 490 regional doctors will be selected from 32 medical schools and graduate schools across the country, excluding those in Seoul, for the 2027 academic year. The selection process will officially begin with the first round of admissions, except for the College of Medicine at Cha University, which completed its application process in early August.
Key Eligibility Criteria: School Location and Student's Actual Residence
The regional doctor selection process is entirely separate from the existing 'Regional Talent Selection' system. Unlike the latter, which offers only admission benefits, the regional doctor selection combines tuition support with a ten-year mandatory service requirement.
Eligibility is based on two main criteria: the location of the school and the student's actual residence. Generally, students must have completed their entire education from middle school to high school within the metropolitan area where the medical school is located. Additionally, students must have registered their actual residence in the region throughout their studies. However, the residence of the parents is not considered, and elementary school location is not evaluated. Those who have completed their education through alternative means, such as the GED, cannot apply due to difficulties in proving local residency.
The selection will be divided into 'medical district selection' (359 students, about 70%) and 'metropolitan area selection' (131 students, about 30%). Medical district selection allows students who attended middle and high school in specific districts to serve in their respective local government areas. In contrast, metropolitan area selection will cover broader regions, allowing graduates to choose their work location within the province after graduation. Major metropolitan cities like Daejeon, Busan, Gwangju, and Daegu are excluded from mandatory service areas.
In the Seoul metropolitan area, students can apply only if they have completed their education and resided in the same medical district (such as Uijeongbu, Namyangju, Icheon, Pocheon, and Incheon) without a separate metropolitan area selection.
Full Tuition and Dormitory Fees Covered, but with a 10-Year Conditional License
The financial support for successful applicants is substantial. The government and local authorities will cover the full cost of tuition, textbooks, practical training fees, and dormitory expenses each semester during the regular medical school curriculum.
However, this comes with a significant legal obligation. Graduates who pass the national medical examination will receive a 'conditional license' that requires them to work for ten years at designated medical institutions in the specified region. These institutions include public health facilities, local medical centers, responsible medical institutions, and emergency medical facilities (emergency room specialists), as announced by the government each year.
The government will not forcibly assign graduates to specific hospitals; instead, they can choose from the published list of mandatory service institutions. Only after completing the ten years of service can they transition to a general license, allowing them to practice freely anywhere in the country.
Do Internship and Residency Training Count Toward the Service Period? Only Nine Essential Subjects Fully Recognized
One of the most pressing questions for applicants is whether the residency training period counts toward the ten-year service requirement.
Generally, residency training is excluded from the mandatory service period. However, to encourage essential medical training in the region, there are exceptional provisions. If residents train in nine core essential specialties—internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, emergency medicine, cardiovascular thoracic surgery, neurosurgery, neurology, and family medicine—within their mandatory service area, the entire residency period (3-4 years) will be counted as part of the service requirement.
If they train in other specialties (such as dermatology, ophthalmology, or plastic surgery) within the mandatory service area, only half (50%) of that training period will be recognized. Conversely, if they train outside the mandatory service area, none of that time will count toward the service period. This means that if they obtain their specialist qualification in Seoul or a large hospital in the metropolitan area, they will need to serve the full ten years in their home region from the beginning. Military service time is also not included in the mandatory service period, except for a three-month allowance for female regional doctors who give birth.
“Can I Pay Back the Money to Get a General License?”: License Revocation and Forced Collection for Early Withdrawal
Concerns have been raised about the possibility of students enrolling, receiving scholarships, and later repaying the funds to work as general doctors, a notion referred to as 'dine and dash.'
According to the Regional Doctor Act, repaying tuition does not exempt one from the mandatory service requirement. Upon passing the national examination, a conditional license is automatically issued. If a graduate refuses to fulfill their service obligation, they will face a series of penalties: a first corrective order, a second order leading to a license suspension for up to one year, and a third order resulting in license revocation. A revoked license will only be reinstated if the individual fulfills their service obligation.
Students who withdraw or are expelled during their studies, fail to pass the national examination within three years after graduation, or do not fulfill their service obligation will be required to repay the full amount of tuition received, plus a statutory interest of 5% per year. Failure to pay within the specified time frame will result in strong collection actions by tax authorities.
Jeong Eun-kyeong, Minister of Health and Welfare, stated, “After much discussion and preparation, we are taking a meaningful first step in selecting regional doctors for the first time in our country. The commitment of students who love their regions and are responsible for the health of local residents will shape the future of regional healthcare.”
Experts in college admissions advise that while the regional doctor selection offers significant financial benefits, it requires a serious commitment to serve in a specific region and essential medical care for over ten years. They recommend that applicants carefully consider their long-term commitment and sense of duty rather than focusing solely on the likelihood of acceptance.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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