"Is the Dermatology Clinic Near My Home Affected Too?... Where Have All the Resigned Residents Gone?"

Prolonged Medical Policy Conflicts
Significant Shifts in the Domestic Medical Workforce Landscape

Resigned Residents Return, Flowing Into General Dermatology Positions

Now 1.8 Times Higher Than December 2023

Medical experts have analyzed that the number of general dermatologists has sharply increased as residents who resigned due to the 2024 medical policy conflicts have returned to the field.

According to the medical community on September 27, Professor Sangkyu Lee of the Department of Preventive Medicine at Yonsei University College of Medicine analyzed changes in the distribution of general practitioners before and after the mass resignation of residents, based on data from the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service. This trend was confirmed in his findings, which were published in the Journal of the Korean Medical Science (JKMS).

Photo to help understand the article. Pexels.

Changes in the Domestic Medical Workforce Landscape

Previously, in February 2024, when the government announced that it would increase the medical school admission quota by 2,000 students, residents collectively resigned from their training hospitals in protest. Although a large portion of the residents returned to training in September of the previous year, the prolonged medical policy conflict still led to significant changes in the domestic medical workforce landscape.

The number of residents working at training hospitals dropped sharply by 90.7%, from 13,001 in December 2023 (immediately before the policy conflict) to 1,208 in December 2024. In contrast, during the same period, the number of general practitioners working at non-training medical institutions increased by 64.8%, from 5,557 to 9,157.

An analysis from the medical community revealed that the number of general dermatologists surged as residents who had resigned due to the 2024 medical-government conflict returned to the field. Photo to aid understanding of the article. The Asia Business Daily DB.

The number of general practitioners working at clinic-level medical institutions rose from 3,915 in December 2023 to 6,436 in December 2024, and further to 7,098 by June 2025. However, as residents began returning in earnest, this figure subsequently began to decline.

Dermatology Sees a 1.8-Fold Increase Compared to Pre-Conflict Levels

By specialty, the increase in the number of general practitioners at clinic-level dermatology offices was the most pronounced. Even without specialist certification, general practitioners can report dermatology or other departments as their area of practice when opening a clinic. The number of general practitioners at dermatology clinics grew from 571 in December 2023 to 1,051 in December 2024, and up to 1,285 by June of the previous year. As of March this year, the figure stood at 1,022—1.8 times the level seen in December 2023 before the conflict.

General clinics showed a similar trend. The number of general practitioners at these clinics increased from 2,376 in December 2023 to 2,808 in December 2024, reaching 3,049 by June of the previous year. In March this year, there were 2,618—242 more than before the conflict.

On the other hand, in internal medicine, orthopedics, and plastic surgery, the increase in the number of general practitioners was significantly reduced after residents returned. The number of general practitioners in internal medicine grew from 232 in December 2023 to 575 by June of the previous year, but then declined to 278 by March this year. Orthopedics followed a pattern of 62, 341, and 124, and plastic surgery showed a similar trend with 137, 292, and 196 over the same periods. In otolaryngology, the number increased from 37 to 144 before dropping again to 38, returning to pre-conflict levels.

The research team concluded that after the return of residents in September 2025, the number of general practitioners decreased in most specialties, but the increase seen during the medical policy conflict was maintained in dermatology and general clinics. The researchers further explained, "Due to the nature of HIRA data, which only counts the total number of general practitioners rather than tracking individual doctors, it is not possible to confirm directly whether the increased number of general practitioners corresponds to those residents who resigned. However, the timing and magnitude of the numerical changes strongly suggest a significant connection."

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