Hospitals struggle to recruit pediatricians

Major hospitals in Seoul are having difficulty hiring pediatricians, failing to meet the recruitment quota for pediatric departments in the first half of the upcoming year amid the growing unpopularity of essential medical care roles among young doctors.

According to medical sectors, Thursday, among the five major hospitals, four, excluding Asan Medical Center, failed to fulfill the quota for recruiting first-year residents in pediatrics for the first half of 2024, in a process concluded on Wednesday.

The other four are Severance Hospital, the Catholic University of Korea Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, Seoul National University Hospital and Samsung Medical Center. Residents are doctors who acquire a medical license and undergo three to four years of training to specialize at a university hospital.

Severance Hospital, for instance, received zero applications for the recruitment of pediatric residents, despite a quota of 10. This marks the second consecutive year with no applicants in the pediatric department.

Among the 60 resident training hospitals, 42, including Severance Hospital, reported zero applicants for the first half of next year’s recruitment.

In terms of applications, Catholic University of Korea Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital had four applicants for a quota of 10, Seoul National University Hospital had 15 applicants against a quota of 17 and Samsung Medical Center had seven applicants for a quota of nine.

Asan Medical Center was the only one among the five major hospitals to meet its quota of 10 pediatric residents.

Young doctors’ avoidance of the pediatric department is intensifying, driven by Korea’s low birthrate and comparatively low wages considering the demanding nature of the work. Last year’s recruitment saw a record-low application rate for residents at 15.9 percent.

This trend of avoidance extends to other essential medical departments such as obstetrics and cardiothoracic care, evident in recruitment for next year.

In response, and to address potential gaps in pediatric care, the government has proposed several measures. These include an increase in the number of pediatric night care facilities, the provision of training assistance benefits and support for policy fees, which entail rewarding medical practitioners.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare pledged to allocate 300 billion won ($226.7 million) annually to enhance the number of pediatric and obstetric clinics, aiming to prevent the deterioration of essential medical infrastructure, in a recent announcement made during a Health Insurance Policy Committee meeting held last month.

However, criticism persists as the government’s measures are deemed insufficient to attract young doctors to the pediatric department.

According to Lim Hyun-taek, the medical doctor president of the Korean Pediatric Association, the recently announced increase in insurance fees by the health ministry is not substantial enough. He argues that the pediatric department requires a significant workforce to adequately care for infants, children and adolescents.

Lim also highlighted the high risk that doctors face in terms of potential compensation for medical lawsuits or criminal responsibility.

“In this regard, a government-level system that can protect doctors should be established,” he said.