Subject(s)
Community Dentistry/education , Community-Institutional Relations , Education, Dental , Schools, Dental/economics , Clinical Competence , Community Health Services , Dental Clinics/economics , Education, Dental/economics , Efficiency , Health Services Accessibility , Healthcare Disparities , Humans , Income , Preceptorship , Schools, Dental/organization & administrationABSTRACT
In community-based dental education programs, student-provided services can be an important source of community clinic and practice revenues. The University of Michigan School of Dentistry has developed a revenue-sharing arrangement with multiple community clinics and practices. During their ten-week externship, senior students produce at least $800 a day in patient care revenues, and the school receives an average of $165 per student per day from community sites. These funds are used to cover program costs and enrich the curriculum. Revenue-sharing with community clinics and practices helps to ensure program longevity and is an increasingly significant source of school revenues.
Subject(s)
Community Health Services/economics , Dental Clinics/economics , Schools, Dental/economics , Community Dentistry/economics , Community Dentistry/education , Community-Institutional Relations , Contracts , Curriculum , Education, Dental/economics , Financial Management/economics , Financial Support , Humans , Income , Michigan , Negotiating , Preceptorship/economics , Private Practice/economicsABSTRACT
To develop a long-term, sustainable partnership with dental schools, federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) need to assess the financial impact of dental students on their financial operations. Primary concerns are that students will not cover their marginal costs and will reduce the productivity of clinic dentists. This study uses data from Asian Health Services, an FQHC in Oakland, California, to examine revenues generated by senior dental students and by FQHC dentists when students are and are not present. The analysis of ten months of electronic record data showed that two full-time equivalent students generated $420,549 in gross revenues and reduced dentist output by only $29,000. While the results are from just one FQHC, they strongly suggest that students make a significant contribution to clinic productivity and finances.
Subject(s)
Community Dentistry/education , Community Health Services/economics , Dental Clinics/economics , Education, Dental/economics , Schools, Dental/economics , California , Community Dentistry/economics , Community Health Services/organization & administration , Community-Institutional Relations , Comprehensive Dental Care/economics , Comprehensive Dental Care/organization & administration , Comprehensive Dental Care/statistics & numerical data , Costs and Cost Analysis , Dental Clinics/organization & administration , Dental Records , Dentists/economics , Efficiency, Organizational , Electronic Health Records , Financial Support , Humans , Income , Medicaid/economics , Preceptorship/economics , Primary Health Care/economics , Primary Health Care/organization & administration , Primary Health Care/statistics & numerical data , Students, Dental , United StatesABSTRACT
Junior and senior dental students generate a significant portion of dental school clinical revenues. Some deans and faculty members are concerned that school clinic income declines when students spend substantial time in community clinics on extramural rotations. This study uses data from eight dental schools to examine the difference in senior clinic operating revenues and expenses between schools with extensive community-based dental education programs and those with limited community-based dental education programs. The analysis shows that schools with extensive programs have substantially lower per senior student clinic losses. This is due to having fewer chairs per student and having a larger class size, thus generating more tuition revenues. The economic advantages of community-based dental education programs for their schools are substantial.
