Revisiting the cost of medical student education: a measure of the experience of UT Medical School-Houston.

Abstract

This study uses a cost construction model to estimate the cost of a four-year undergraduate medical education at the University of Texas-Houston Medical School (UT-Houston) in 2006-2007 compared to 1994-1995. The model computes the cost by measuring increasingly inclusive definitions of the educational mission: instructional (direct-contact teaching), educational (instructional plus general supervision), and milieu (educational plus research costs). Using the model and adjusting for inflation, annual cost per student enrolled decreased by 16 percent in 2006-2007 compared to 1994-1995 and total cost decreased by 9 percent. Additionally, the model predicted 190 full-time equivalent (FTE) faculty and 187 FTE residents for 2006-2007 compared to 201 FTE faculty and 258 FTE residents for 1994-1995. Decreases in the cost of educating medical students were driven by (1) the reduction in the number of educator contact hours required for curriculum delivery; (2) change in the mix of educators; and (3) an increase in medical school class size.