More medical universities in Japan are likely to have manipulated entrance exam results against female applicants and favored particular individuals, the education ministry said in its midterm report Tuesday, without disclosing the names of the institutions.
The ministry has been probing 81 medical schools in Japan since Tokyo Medical University admitted in August it had deducted exam scores to curb female enrollment and avoid a shortage of doctors at its hospitals, on the grounds that female doctors tend to resign or take long leave after getting married or giving birth.
In its midterm report on the probe, the ministry gave four examples, including a similar bias against female applicants and applicants who have failed the exams many times in the past, as well as the padding of scores for applicants who are children of alumni.