Impact of the medico-political conflict in South Korea on specialty choice and professional identity among medical students: a cross-sectional study

초록

Purpose: The 2024 medico-political conflict in South Korea, triggered by the government’s abrupt expansion of medical school enrollment, disrupted medical education nationwide. This study examined its impact on medical students’ specialty preferences and professional identity. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in February 2025 among 356 fourth- to sixth-year students from 40 medical schools. The questionnaire included items on career plans and professional identity, along with open-ended reflections on the crisis. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, and thematic analysis. Changes in specialty preferences were reported as percentage point (p.p.) differences. Results: Most respondents (93.8%) intended to pursue clinical careers, whereas 6.2% preferred non-clinical paths. Preferences for essential specialties declined sharply, particularly in internal medicine (–31.3 p.p.), general surgery (–22.0 p.p.), emergency medicine (–12.8 p.p.), and pediatrics (–11.5 p.p.), while interest increased in general practice (+29.5 p.p.), dermatology (+12.4 p.p.), and ophthalmology (+9.2 p.p.). Among 331 students with residency preferences, 48.3% were classified as discontinued essential specialty preference (DES), 28.4% as maintained essential specialty preference, and 21.1% as never had an essential specialty preference. DES students showed higher identity crisis scores (P<0.001), stronger intentions to pursue overseas careers (P<0.001), and greater interest in military service (P<0.001). They also scored higher on societal reflection (P<0.001), whereas no group differences were observed in personal or professional domains. Conclusion: The 2024 medical crisis may have reduced students’ interest in essential specialties and hindered professional identity formation. These findings underscore the need for continued monitoring of its long-term effects.

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