"I thought a professional career where I could work independently would be better than following a predetermined path at a large corporation."
Park, 29, currently enrolled at a Hungarian medical school, decided to pursue medicine three years after joining Samsung Electronics. Instead of competing in Korea's intensely competitive medical school admissions, he chose an overseas institution where opportunities remain open even at a relatively late age.
"In my class alone, there are at least three or four Koreans who came after working corporate jobs," Park said. "Some even drop out of high school, pass the GED equivalent, and start preparing for overseas medical schools early."
As the recent medical school enrollment expansion intensifies the preference for medical careers, demand for overseas medical schools is rising in tandem. Professionals like Park are increasingly pursuing overseas medical education, attracted by shorter preparation periods and lower risk of becoming repeat exam takers.
According to data from the Ministry of Health and Welfare obtained by Democratic Party lawmaker Jeon Jin-suk's office on the 8th, 52 of the 269 final passers (19.3%) of the 89th National Medical Licensing Examination in 2025 graduated from overseas medical schools. This more than doubles the 25 from 2024.
Even accounting for the mass boycott of the exam by domestic medical graduates amid last year's medical sector conflict, overseas medical school graduates passing the exam have shown a steady increase, consistently recording figures in the 30s since 2021.
The government's recent decision to increase medical school enrollment by an average of 668 students annually over the next five years has further boosted the popularity of medical education. According to Jongno Academy's analysis of 2025 freshman enrollment data, unfilled seats at SKY universities (Seoul National, Yonsei, and Korea University) reached 61. Analysts attribute this to significant departures from top universities following the medical school quota expansion.
This medical school fever is now spreading overseas.
Lee, another student in their 20s at a Hungarian medical school, switched from studying industrial engineering at a Korean university. "Retaking the CSAT at my age felt burdensome," Lee said. "I heard the entrance exams covering chemistry and biology are less difficult than in Korea, so I chose an overseas medical school."
Lee added: "The opportunity to experience diverse cultures and patient cases in Europe also felt like an advantage."
Academies targeting demand for overseas medical school admission are proliferating. These institutions assist with everything from admissions strategy to foundational coursework and oral evaluation preparation.
A representative from an overseas medical school prep academy in Seoul's Gangnam District said enrollment grew from 80-90 students last year to 450 this year. "Admissions to Semmelweis, the largest Hungarian medical school, increased from 68 in 2024 to 82 in 2025, with 120-150 expected this year," the representative added.
The preference for medical schools is expected to continue. This raises concerns that unfilled seats at top Korean universities and cases of students abandoning corporate-sponsored programs could increase annually.
"With the introduction of regional doctor quotas expanding medical school enrollment, rising preference for medical careers, and declining school-age population all converging, unfilled seats at SKY universities could increase further," said Lim Sung-ho, CEO of Jongno Academy.