PROFESSION

Medical school tuition climbs as economy remains sluggish

Public universities turn to widespread increases, since other revenue sources are less flexible.

By Myrle Croasdale, AMNews staff. Sept. 1, 2003.

The cost of going to medical school is on the rise as the economic downturn forces cuts in government spending for public institutions and weakens yields from the endowments private schools rely on.

Jack Krakower, PhD, assistant vice president for medical school services at the Assn. of American Medical Colleges, said he anticipates tuition hikes throughout the country this year.

"It won't be uncommon to see increases of 10% or more at state schools," Dr. Krakower said, "and it wouldn't surprise me to see comparable increases at private schools."

The AAMC is collecting information on 2003-04 tuition rates, but the picture still is incomplete.

Bob Sabalis, the AAMC's associate vice president for student affairs and programs, said the impact of tuition hikes on medical student debt was of serious concern, since the amount of debt a student carries often determines his or her choice of specialty.

"If this is a short-term problem, then there won't be a dramatic increase in debt. But if this goes on for four or five years, it will be much more significant," Sabalis said.

The AAMC estimates students graduating in 2003-04 will have an average debt of $103,855, including debt from premedical studies.

Joe McDonald, chair of the American Medical Association's Medical Student Section, said students are watching the situation. "Students are really concerned about this. Data show that debt does affect specialty choice and whether students go into medicine to begin with."

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