1225 



However imprecise these estimates may be, they provide at least a 

 rough order of magnitude of estimated savings to the American 

 people. Roughly, an additional 18.2 medical schools would have to be 

 constructed in order to accpmmodate in domestic manpower the 

 equivalent of 6,462 FMGs entering the United States from the LDCs 

 in the fiscal year 1972; 5.1 would have to be built to acc6mmodate the 

 equivalent number in native stock of 1,802 FMGs from India alone. 



Undoubtedly, FMGs make a substantial contribution to the U.S. 

 health system, saving the American people enormous outlays in funds 

 that would have to be expended to eradicate the medical manpower 

 deficit and to maintain health care at present standards. So great has 

 this dependency upon the LDCs for medical manpower become that 

 the authors of the CIMT study conclude : "Large parts of the hospital 

 systems of both the United Kingdom and the United States would 

 collapse if migration of physicians from less developed countries were 

 suddenly to cease." ^"^ 



6«2 CIMT study, p. 696. 



TABLE 32.— ESTIMATED SAVINGS TO THE UNITED STATES IN EDUCATIONAL COSTS OF IMMIGRANT FMG'S FROM 



LDCS, FISCAL YEAR 1971 



Area 



Total 

 numberi 



Total 



estimated 



savings 3 



Equivalent 



number of 



medical 



schools * 



FMG population, December 1970 



All countries 



All LDCs < :.... 



West Europe: Greece 



Latin America'... 



Asia 



Near and Middle East 



Far East '. -.T.-.r*- 



^ China .■ '.... 



India 



Korea..., 



Pakistan.. 



Philippines 



Other ..... 



Africa 



Egypt..... 



Other 



All other areas 



63,391 



5,748 



5,213 



52 



542 



4, 380 



$5, 261, 453, 000 



477, 084, COO 



432, 679, 000 



4,316,000 



44, 986, 000 



363, 540, OCO 



434 

 3,946 



207 

 1,057 



999 



161 

 1,040 



482 



36, 022, OCO 

 327, 518, 000 



17,181,000 

 87,731,000 

 82,917,000 

 13, 280, 000 

 86, 320, 000 

 40, 0t6, OCO 



179.0 



16.2 



14.7 



.1 



1.5 



12.4 



1.2. 



n.i 



.6 

 3.0 

 2.8 



.4 

 2.9 

 1.4 



17 



1,411,000 



.05 



' The source for the total number of FMG's entering the United States is the National Science Foundation's "Highlights 

 of Aug. 20, 1973" (NSF 73-311), p. 2. The figure for the total FMG population comes from the AMA's "FMG Study for 

 1970." 



' Total savings is arrived at by using the estimated figure of $83,000 per person for educational costs of a physician. 

 Cited in Henderson, "Emigration of Highly .Skilled Manpovver from the Developing Countries," 1970, p. 132. Mr. Henderson 

 cites this figure for surgeons who are, as he says, "the most expensive." Hov^rever, the figure of $83,000 per person is not 

 excessively high as Mr, Henderson suggests'. According to a recent report by the AAMC, the annual cost per n.edical student 

 in the undergraduate medical educational program leading to the M.D. degree is estimated to range from a tow of $',6,309 

 to a high of $26,400. Over 4 years this would amount to $55,200 and $105,600 respectively. The average total annual cost 

 from 12 selected schools amounts to $21,350 per student, or a 4-year total of $85,400. The estimate, figured in 1972 dollars,, 

 was based upon a study of the 12 medical schools. The components used in computing costs ware, instruction, research, 

 clinical activity, other administrative, scholarly, and professional activities. The report indicated that even this figure 

 represents only a part of the total cost of preparing a physician for independent practice. (Association of American Medicaf 

 Colleges. Report of the Committee on the Financing of Medical Education, "Undergraduate Medical Education: Elements — 

 Objectives— Costs." (AAMC, 1973), pp. 1-2.) 



' The equivalent number of medical schools category has been arrived at by dividing 354, the average number of students 

 per American medical school, into the total numbsr of entering FMG's. This figure was computed in accordance with datai 

 in the 1971-72 catalog of the Association of American Medical Colleges, which indicates that there were 109 medicaS 

 schools in the United States and Puerto Rico listed as accepting applications for classes (p. 67) and that the total enrollment 

 of American citizens for 1969-70 was 37,690 (p. 63). 



« LDCs are understood to mean the following areas and countries listed in table 1 of NSF "Highlights": Greece, Northi 

 and Central America (excluding Canada), South America, Asia, Africa, and "All other areas." 



» Latin America is understood to mean those areas and countries listed in table 1 of NSF "Highlights"' as Nbnth aruS 

 Central America (excluding Canada) and South America. 



97-400 O - 77 - 40 



