There is a program where the state pays for tuition to send individuals to medical school, allowing them to receive a salary as military personnel while becoming medical specialists.
In return, after becoming specialists, they are required to serve as military doctors for 10 years.
However, it has been found that more than 3 out of 4 military doctors who completed this mandatory service period ultimately left the military.
This has sparked controversy over whether the system, originally created to secure long-term military doctors, is instead being exploited by some officers as a pathway to obtain a medical license.
The military-sponsored medical school education program selects around 10 junior officers, ranging from second lieutenants to captains, every year to receive medical education using state budgets.
With a recommendation from the Minister of National Defense, they can enter medical or dental school without having to compete in regular admissions, and the government supports tuition fees including admission and registration costs.
Furthermore, they maintain their status as military officers while attending medical school, receiving a salary according to their rank.
After completing 9 years of education and training, which includes 4 years of undergraduate medical school and 5 years of residency training including internships, they can also obtain a specialist qualification.
The condition is that they must subsequently serve as military doctors for 10 years of mandatory service.
The issue is whether the original intent of keeping them in the military as long-term military doctors is being properly realized.
Over the past 10 years, 42 military doctors have completed the 10-year mandatory service.
Among them, 32 individuals, or 76.2%, subsequently left the military.
In particular, 14 of those who were discharged left the military immediately upon the completion of their mandatory service period.
Medical school admissions through this system continue to take place recently as well.
Over the 3 years from 2024 to this year, a total of 50 officers were selected as sponsored medical students.
By branch, 29 are from the Army, 11 from the Navy, and 10 from the Air Force.
By background, graduates of 4-year military academies—including the Korea Military Academy, Korea Naval Academy, Korea Air Force Academy, and Korea Armed Forces Nursing Academy—accounted for the vast majority with 42 individuals.
Critics point out that if the structure is one where a significant number of individuals leave the military once their mandatory service ends despite massive state budgets being poured into training specialists, improvement measures should be devised to align with the program's purpose of securing long-term military medical personnel.
Reported by Kim Minjeong | Video by Kim Na-on | Graphics by Yook Do-hyun | Produced by SBS Digital News
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