94% of 'regional doctor' medical school seats to be filled through early admissions — top scores in both required

By Kim Yong-jae, The Herald Business

The regional doctor system, set to be introduced for the first time from the 2027 academic year, will in effect operate as an early-admissions-centered selection process. A total of 93.9 percent of all seats will be filled through early admissions, and 97.6 percent of those early admissions seats will be subject to minimum College Scholastic Ability Test score requirements.

According to Jongno Academy, 31 medical schools nationwide will recruit a combined 488 students under the regional doctor system for the 2027 academic year. Of those, 458 (93.9 percent) will be selected through early admissions, while regular admissions was limited to 30 seats (6.1 percent). Under the regional doctor system, students who enter medical school through the program receive full government support for tuition and living expenses and must serve for 10 years in the designated region after graduation.

By region, early admissions seats break down as follows: 22 seats across four universities in the Gyeonggi-Incheon area; 63 across four in Gangwon Province; 72 across five in the Daegu and North Gyeongsang area; 97 across six in the Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongsang area; 105 of 118 seats (89.0 percent) across seven universities in the Chungcheong area; 79 of 88 (89.8 percent) across four in the Honam area; and 20 of 28 (71.4 percent) in Jeju.

Regular admissions will be conducted at only three universities: Chungbuk National University (13 seats), Chonnam National University (9 seats) and Jeju National University (8 seats).

The rate of CSAT minimum score requirements is also high. Of the 458 early admissions seats, 447 (97.6 percent) will require applicants to meet a minimum CSAT score. Universities in Gangwon Province, the Daegu and North Gyeongsang area, the Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongsang area, the Chungcheong area and the Honam area will apply the CSAT minimum to all early admissions applicants. Only 11 seats — 2.4 percent of total early admissions — are exempt from the requirement: three at Sungkyunkwan University, six at Inha University and two at Jeju National University.

The CSAT minimum thresholds are also demanding. Gachon University requires a first-grade rating in all three subject areas. Ajou University requires a combined rating of 6 across four subject areas; Pusan National University requires a combined rating of 4 across three areas; and Kyungpook National University, Yeungnam University and University of Ulsan each require a combined rating of 5 across three areas. Chungnam National University, Chungbuk National University, Chonnam National University, Chonbuk National University and Jeju National University also apply a standard of a combined rating of 6 across three subject areas.

"In the first round of regional doctor system selections, we expect top-tier students who excel in both school grades and CSAT scores to be the ones who gain admission," said Lim Sung-ho, head of Jongno Academy. "As those students shift toward the regional doctor track, the cutoff scores for general science-track programs may fall somewhat."

He added that medical school enrollment figures have fluctuated sharply in recent years — expanding before the 2024 academic year, increasing again for 2025, reverting for 2026 and expanding once more for 2027 — and urged prospective applicants not to rely solely on last year's cutoff scores but to analyze trends across the past several years comprehensively.