A discrete choice experiment studying students’ preferences for scholarships to private medical schools in Japan

Table 5 The number of physicians secured and total amount of scholarship in exchange for predetermined specialties in rural areas

Duration of obligation	After-scholarship annual tuition ($)	The number of those willing to accept the conditional scholarship			Total annual scholarship ($)
Duration of obligation	After-scholarship annual tuition ($)	Non-applicants	Applicants	Total	Total annual scholarship ($)
9 years	6 000	107	32	139	6 936 100
	12 000	63	24	87	3 819 300
	18 000	32	18	50	1 895 000
7 years	6 000	128	31	159	7 934 100
	12 000	83	24	107	4 697 300
	18 000	45	18	63	2 387 700
5 years	6 000	147	61	208	10 379 200
	12 000	104	51	155	6 804 500
	18 000	61	40	101	3 827 900

Conditional scholarships are assumed to be provided for 326 students (approx. 10%) from a total of 3263 private medical school enrollments in 2011. Also, the proportion of non-applicants to private medical schools is assumed to be the same with this sample. Thus, 212 students (65%) are non-applicants to private medical schools and 114 (35%) are applicants among all scholarship candidates. The number of those willing to accept scholarships is calculated from the probability of entering private medical schools in the event of scholarships in exchange for 9 years of service in specified specialties in certain rural regions. Each probability is estimated when we change the duration of the obligation and tuition using estimates from the DCE. The probability in specific cases is shown in Figure 2. Total annual scholarships are calculated as the number of those willing to accept them (average annual tuition of private medical schools minus post-scholarship annual tuition).

ISSN: 1478-4491