study of costs of educating students of the various health professions

study of costs of educating students of the various health professions Sec. 205. (a) (1) The Secretary of Health. Education, and Welfare (hereinafter in this section referred to as “Secretary”) shall arrange for the conduct of a study or studies to determine the national average annual per student educational cost of schools of medicine, osteopathy, dentistry, optometry, pharmacy, podiatry, veterinary medicine, and nursing in providing education programs which lead, respectively, to a degree of doctor of medicine, a degree of doctor of osteopathy, a degree of doctor of dentistry (or an equivalent degree), a degree of doctor of optometry (or an equivalent degree), a degree of bachelor of science in pharmacy (or an equivalent degree), a degree of doctor of podiatry (or an equivalent degree), a degree of doctor of veterinary medicine (or an equivalent degree), a certificate of degree or other appropriate evidence of completion of a course of training for physicians assistants or dental therapists, or a certificate or degree certifying completion of nurse training. (2) Such studies shall be completed and an interim report thereon submitted not later than March 30, 1973, and a final report not later than January 1, 1974, to the Secretary, the Committee on Labor and Public Welfare of the Senate, and the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce of the House of Representatives. (3) Such studies shall develop methodologies for ascertaining the national average annual per student educational costs and shall, on 85 Stat. 463such basis, determine such costs for school years 1971–1972, 1972–1973, and the estimated costs for school year 1973–1974 in the respective disciplines. The study shall also indicate the extent of variation among schools within the respective disciplines in their annual per student educational costs and the key factors affecting this variation. The studies shall employ the most recent data available from the health professional schools in the country at the time of the study. (4) Such studies shall also describe national uniform standards for determining annual per student educational costs for each health professional school in future years and estimates of the cost to such schools of reporting according to these uniform standards. (5) The. report shall also include recommendations concerning how the. Federal Government can utilize educational cost per student data to determine the amount of capitation grants under the Public Health Service Act to each health professional school. (b) (1) The Secretary shall request the National Academy of Sciences to conduct such studies under an arrangement under which the actual expenses incurred by such Academy in conducting such studies will be paid by the Secretary. If the National Academy of Sciences is willing to do so, the Secretary shall enter into such an arrangement with such Academy for the conduct of such studies. (2) If the National Academy of Sciences is unwilling to conduct one or more of such studies under such an arrangement, then the Secretary shall enter into a similar arrangement with other appropriate nonprofit private groups or associations under which such groups or associations will conduct such studies and prepare and submit the reports thereon as provided in subsection (a)(2).