Fellow doctors, or doctors who are training in a subspecialty after completing a residency, are showing signs of returning to hospitals after initially leaving to join the collective action led by trainee doctors.

According to the health ministry on Sunday, the percentage of fellow doctors signing contracts with 100 teaching hospitals nationwide reached 55-point-six percent as of last Wednesday, up from 33-point-six percent in late February. 

The percentage at the so-called “Big Five” hospitals in the capital region is higher at 57-point-nine percent. 

The figure is rising recently as public health and military doctors who have completed their service are returning to sign fellowship contracts. 

However, the increase in fellow doctors is not expected to normalize services as medical professors, who started submitting their resignations on March 25, are likely to leave hospitals from Thursday.  

Medical students also plan to file for an injunction on Monday calling for medical school deans to stop the process of increasing the medical school admissions quota.