First 490 Regional Doctors Selected... "10-Year Mandatory Service Required Even If Scholarships Are Returned"

Rolling Admissions at 31 Medical Schools Start on the 7th
Applicants Must Meet Both School and Residency Requirements
Violation of Service Obligation May Result in Suspension or Revocation of License

With the official launch of the 'regional doctor program,' which selects students raised in local communities for separate admission to medical schools and trains them to work in those same regions for 10 years, a total of 490 students will be selected in the 2027 academic year at 32 medical colleges and graduate schools of medicine nationwide, excluding Seoul.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Education announced on the 3rd that, ahead of the first early admissions for the 2027 regional doctor selection, they have prepared the '2027 Regional Doctor Admissions Guide (FAQ)' to answer key questions from test-takers and parents. CHA University Graduate School of Medicine completed a separate application schedule from August 4 to 6, while the remaining 31 universities will begin recruiting regional doctors through the regular rolling admissions starting on the 7th.

The regional doctor program is a system that separately selects students who have grown up in a particular region, provides financial and capacity-building support from the nation and local governments, and requires them to work in a designated region for a certain period after acquiring their medical license. The objective is to alleviate the imbalance of medical personnel between regions and to secure a stable supply of doctors tailored to local needs.

The number of admissions for the 2027 academic year is 490 in total. Of these, 359 students will be selected by service area, and 131 by metropolitan area. From 2028 to 2031, 613 students will be selected each year.

The most important qualification requirement is that applicants must meet both the school location and residency conditions. Applicants must have attended middle and high school in the legally designated region from enrollment to graduation, and must have lived in the corresponding service area or metropolitan area during their studies. The residence of the applicant's parents is not considered for eligibility. Medical schools in Gyeonggi and Incheon do not recruit by metropolitan area; thus, applicants must complete both middle and high school and reside within the same service area to be eligible to apply.

Transferring schools or moving does not automatically disqualify an applicant from eligibility. If the school and residence were moved within the same service area, the applicant may still apply for both the service area and metropolitan area admissions as long as the requirements for that service area continue to be met. Conversely, moving to a different service area within the same metropolitan area disqualifies an applicant from service area recruitment, but if the metropolitan area requirements are still met, the applicant may apply for metropolitan area recruitment. Transferring to a different metropolitan area disqualifies the applicant from both types of recruitment.

Those admitted through the regional doctor program receive support for tuition, book and laboratory fees, and dormitory expenses from the national and local governments. In return, after receiving their medical license, they must work for 10 years in the region specified at the time of selection. The medical license will be issued as a so-called 'conditional license,' requiring 10 years of service in the relevant region.

If the service obligation is not fulfilled, corrective orders may be issued and penalties such as suspension or revocation of the medical license may apply. The mandatory residency training period is, in principle, excluded from the 10-year service obligation, and only if the training is completed within the designated region can part or all of the training period be recognized as fulfilling the obligation.

Repaying the scholarship does not exempt one from the service obligation. If a student drops out or is expelled during their studies, they must return the full amount of financial aid received plus 5% annual statutory interest. However, even if all scholarship money and interest are repaid, if the student has already obtained a medical license, the refund will be given back but the 10-year mandatory service remains in force.

The government will also establish a system to support students from selection to regional settlement. In the second half of this year, a regional doctor support center will be selected through a public recruitment process, and will provide career counseling, job training, career development, domestic and overseas training, and housing support. After completing their obligatory service, regional doctors may be prioritized in recruitment by their service institution or other public health institutions in the region, and may also receive administrative and financial support from the local government if they start or run a medical institution in an underserved area.

This FAQ prepared by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Education contains 85 questions across 11 areas, including eligibility, service area and metropolitan area regulations, selection methods, educational and financial support, service obligation and training, refunds and penalties. However, some details, such as the total amount of financial aid offered and the list of service institutions or teaching hospitals, will be finalized through separate guidelines in the future. Specific qualifications and selection procedures should be checked in each university's admissions guide.

Minister of Health and Welfare Jeong Eun-kyeong said, "With much discussion and preparation, we are taking our country's very first steps in selecting regional doctors," adding, "The government will stand as a steadfast partner in education, training, career support, and local settlement so that students selected as regional doctors can grow into outstanding medical professionals who lead their regional healthcare."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.