Concerns over the spread of medical school leave...Ministry of Education convenes presidents of 40 medical schools

Seoul National University Medical School has approved a collective leave of absence for medical students for the first time, and the government is convening the president of a medical school nationwide over concerns over the spread of approval for leave of absence.

The Ministry of Education plans to hold an online meeting with the presidents of 40 universities across the country presided over by Vice Minister Oh Seok-hwan today to ask each university not to approve the collective leave of absence of medical students and to thoroughly manage their academic records.

Seoul National University approved 780 medical students' applications for a first semester leave of absence on the 30th of last month, and it was possible for the dean of the college, not the president, to make the final decision to take a leave of absence.

For this reason, as with Seoul National University, it is observed that medical schools that have the authority to approve leave of absence from school may spread further.

In response, the Ministry of Education sent an official letter to 40 medical schools saying that taking a leave of absence from alliance does not constitute a legitimate reason for taking a leave of absence, and warned that if a large-scale leave of absence is granted, the university's decision-making process and curriculum can be checked.