Seven out of 10 medical school students from across the nation have applied for a leave of absence in a collective action protesting the government's medical school quota hike plan, the education ministry said Thursday. Since Feb. 19, 13,698 students from 40 medical schools countrywide have filed for a leave of absence, representing 72.9 percent of the total, according to the ministry. Only a few of them were granted their requests, as the ministry maintains that a collection action does not constitute a valid reason for a leave of absence. The collective action by medical school students came as thousands of intern and resident doctors submitted their collective resignations in protest of the government's plan to hike the medical school student quota by 2,000 next year to address a chronic shortage of medical workers. Students at six medical schools nationwide also boycotted their classes the previous day, the ministry said. Source: Yonhap News Agency