医学院意外费用的负担。
The burden of unexpected costs in medical school.
作者信息
Ball Madeleine, Lam LeAnn, Tigue Megan, Herzberg Simone, Finck Luke
机构信息
University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America.
Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
出版信息
PLoS One. 2024 Dec 5;19(12):e0312401. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0312401. eCollection 2024.
BACKGROUND
The cost of medical school continues to climb. What has yet to be well-understood are the so-called "unexpected costs" of medical school that, while not explicitly required, are considered paramount to success. This study aims to identify, quantify, and analyze the impacts of these costs of medical school and offer suggestions in alleviating these burdens.
METHODS
Medical students across the United States were administered a questionnaire inquiring about the unexpected costs of medical school including test prep materials, clinical supplies, student fees, and the impact of these costs on mental and financial health. In this multi-institutional, cross-sectional survey study, outcomes included total cost, perception of expected vs. actual cost, and impact on well-being.
RESULTS
From January to June 2022, 499 survey responses were collected. The average total additional costs were $4,937, with 83% of respondents stating they spent more during medical school than expected. 51% reported their institutions' cost of attendance did not accurately predict expenses. These costs were a financial constraint for 68% of students, with a significant increase in constraint for first-generation college students (89% vs 65%, p = 0.02). Financial concerns impacted 65% of students' mental health and well-being during their medical career, with a significantly increased impact on first-generation college students (85% vs 62%, p = 0.045).
CONCLUSIONS
Most students believed the total cost of medical school was significantly more than expected, serving as a source of stress and negatively impacting their mental health. The financial constraints and impact on mental health and well-being were most pronounced for first-generation college students. This study illuminates the importance of improving communication regarding costs outside of tuition and providing support and advocacy to alleviate those costs. Future investigation should further examine how other demographics are impacted by the burden of unexpected costs in medical school.
背景
医学院的费用持续攀升。医学院那些所谓的“意外费用”尚未得到充分理解，这些费用虽非明确要求，但对学业成功至关重要。本研究旨在识别、量化并分析医学院这些费用的影响，并提出减轻这些负担的建议。
方法
对美国各地的医学生进行问卷调查，询问医学院的意外费用，包括备考材料、临床用品、学生费用，以及这些费用对心理和财务健康的影响。在这项多机构横断面调查研究中，结果包括总成本、预期成本与实际成本的认知，以及对幸福感的影响。
结果
2022年1月至6月，共收集到499份调查问卷回复。平均额外总成本为4937美元，83%的受访者表示他们在医学院期间的花费比预期更多。51%的受访者报告称，他们所在院校的出勤成本未能准确预测费用。这些费用对68%的学生构成了财务限制，第一代大学生的限制显著增加（89%对65%，p = 0.02）。财务担忧在医学生涯中影响了65%的学生的心理健康和幸福感，对第一代大学生的影响显著增加（85%对62%，p = 0.045）。
结论
大多数学生认为医学院的总成本远高于预期，这成为压力来源并对他们的心理健康产生负面影响。财务限制以及对心理健康和幸福感的影响在第一代大学生中最为明显。本研究阐明了改善学费以外费用沟通以及提供支持和倡导以减轻这些费用的重要性。未来的调查应进一步研究其他人口统计学特征如何受到医学院意外费用负担的影响。
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