A Study of Medical College Costs

An editorial in The Journal, Nov. 16, 1957, page 1459, pointed out that, while much has been said and written regarding the high costs of supporting medical schools, there is little awareness of the functions that these large expenditures make possible. Most often the expenses of supporting the complex activities of a medical school are interpreted as reflecting solely the costs of educating medical students. There is little understanding on the part of either the general public or the profession itself that many of the expensive undertakings of medical schools are not directed solely and often not primarily to undergraduate medical students. This study presents a detailed analysis and comparison of the fiscal operations of 19 medical schools and their teaching hospitals relative to such functions as undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate medical instruction; the instruction of nonmedical students; research; and patient and community services. Although medical teaching centers have differing