Shocking Japan, Tokyo Medical University changed scores to eliminate female candidates
Tokyo Medical University, Japan, is at the center of a scandal after it was discovered to have altered the exam scores of female candidates to increase the number of male doctors.
The Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun reported that the score manipulation was discovered after an internal investigation was conducted to verify allegations of corruption in the school's entrance exam process.
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Tokyo Medical University altered scores to eliminate female candidates |
Additionally, the internal investigation also focused on allegations that the school's board of directors accepted bribes to admit the son of a senior official in the Ministry of Education.
The news has sparked outrage on social media. On August 2, one person said the systematic discrimination against female candidates was disgusting. Another called it “crazy, something that only happens in the 1950s.”
According to the press, the investigation results showed that the score editing began in 2011 after the number of female candidates increased significantly in the entrance exam a year before. As a result, Tokyo Medical University began reducing the scores of female candidates and increasing the scores of male candidates in order to reduce the number of female candidates by about 30%.
The Yomiuri Shimbun, citing university sources, said the lowering of scores for female applicants stemmed from the belief that many women would drop out of medicine after marriage and having children. In addition, female surgeons were often rejected.
Tokyo Medical University spokesman Fumio Azuma confirmed to Reuters that an internal investigation had begun and the results would be announced early this month.
