Starting in the 2029 academic year, South Korea will fully implement a national designation system for colleges training emergency medical technicians (EMTs). This initiative aims to prevent a decline in educational quality as the number of emergency medical programs has increased significantly. Only graduates from colleges designated by the government will be eligible to take the national EMT certification exam.
On August 24, the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced that it has begun the process for the '2029 Academic Year Designation Evaluation for Emergency Medical Technician Training Colleges' to systematically manage the quality of EMT education and cultivate skilled personnel.
This system was introduced in response to the rapid increase in emergency medical programs following the deregulation of college admissions in 2023. The number of emergency medical programs surged from 39 in 2023 to 71 in 2026.
Recognizing the need to ensure the quality of training at a national level, the government decided to implement the designation system based on the revised Emergency Medical Services Act, which was amended in January 2024.
Beginning with students admitted in the 2029 academic year, only those who graduate from colleges or universities designated by the Ministry of Health and Welfare will be allowed to take the national EMT certification exam.
The core of the designation evaluation is to assess whether colleges have the necessary educational conditions for training EMTs. The evaluation will focus on three main areas: educational curriculum, faculty, and facilities and equipment.
In the curriculum area, the evaluation will check the composition of courses, required credits, and the status of practical training. In the faculty area, it will examine the availability of instructors and teaching assistants. The facilities and equipment evaluation will ensure that students have access to practical training environments and necessary equipment to respond effectively in real emergency medical situations. Both document reviews and on-site evaluations will be conducted to cross-verify the actual educational operations.
To minimize confusion in colleges regarding the new system, the Ministry will conduct information sessions and pilot evaluations. An information session for college representatives will be held on August 25 at Severance Hospital in Seoul and on August 27 at Hannam University in Daejeon, where the purpose of the system and specific evaluation criteria will be explained.
Before the formal designation evaluation, pilot evaluations will be conducted for ten colleges that have applied. These pilot evaluations will assess educational conditions based on the same criteria as the formal evaluations, followed by tailored consulting for each college on areas needing improvement. Institutions that meet the standards for facilities or equipment during the pilot evaluation will be exempt from those areas in the formal evaluation.
The formal designation evaluation process will begin with a public announcement and application acceptance at the end of this year. On-site evaluations will take place from March to June 2027, followed by notification of results and an appeals process. Colleges that do not meet the standards will be given an opportunity for supplementary evaluations, with final designation results expected to be announced in April 2028.
Son Young-rae, Director of the Regional Essential Public Health Medical Services at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, emphasized, "This designation system is aimed at systematically managing the quality of EMT training and practical capabilities. We will actively support colleges in their preparations through information sessions and pilot evaluations, and we will continue to manage the system to establish a reliable EMT training framework for the public."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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