Discussion about the right costs for medical studies
Published: Thursday, Oct 17th 2024, 18:30
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The costs of studying medicine are overstated by up to four times in the public debate, complains the Association of Medical Students (Swimsa). Instead of CHF 120,000, the figure is more like CHF 30,000 per student per year.
In a press release issued on Thursday, Swimsa cites figures from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) and the Swiss University Conference (SHK), which were collected as part of the EKOH project, as the source for what it considers to be an excessive amount. The abbreviation stands for "Survey of the costs of teaching and research in human medicine".
Swimsa is particularly critical of the cost estimate given there, which also includes expenses for scientific research within the medical faculties or third-party funds from extraordinary subsidies or private financing by foundations and companies.
Costs shown transparently
In fact, the EKOH report for 2022 shows an amount of CHF 110,410 per medical student per year, taking into account research costs but excluding third-party funding. However, it is stated just as transparently that the pure costs for basic training, excluding other factors, amounted to CHF 31,108 in the same year.
When asked by the Keystone-SDA news agency, the FSO explained that both figures were correct and that it was ultimately a question of interpretation. However, the office points out that the costs for basic education without research do not fully cover a course of study. This is based on the premise that research is also needed for high-quality teaching.
Figures as a basis for well-founded decisions
Meanwhile, Swimsa is concerned with the big picture: in view of the increasing demand for doctors, it is crucial to increase the number of medical study places, it writes in its press release. In order to achieve this, it is important that the public debate is based on accurate figures that enable well-founded decisions to be made for the benefit of society.
This is precisely the FSO's concern, it concludes.
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