Economic burden of becoming a dentist in developing country

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the financial expenses incurred over the duration of the undergraduate dental course in Thailand Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among all 658 dental undergraduates in Mahidol University, Thailand. Data were collected through the self-administered questionnaire, including (1) “Background”: household income, hometown, and residence during study, financial source(s), (2) "Expenses": Living costs including foods, transportations, rents, utility bills, and recreational expenses; Education-related expensesincluding textbooks, stationeries, uniforms, and student activities fees. A cost-median was used as a representation of the actual cost of each item. The mean differences of all expenses between groups before estimation was assessed by analysis of variance (ANOVA). The statistically significant difference was at p < 0.001. Results: A higher proportion of the participants' families financially supported, with household income between THB50,001 - 100,000 (2,118.1 – 4,235 USD), while only 5% have additional funding. Students who rented accommodation spent significantly higher yearly expenses than those who were not (p<0.001). The estimated adjusted cost of becoming a dentist is THB1,265,027 (53,580 USD) and THB1,823,027 (77,214 USD) for students living at home and renting accommodation, respectively. Conclusion: The cost of Thai dental education can be a significant financial burden, especially for students from disadvantaged socioeconomic status.