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The effects of medical school on health outcomes: Evidence from admission lotteries

Author

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  • Leuven, Edwin
  • Oosterbeek, Hessel
  • de Wolf, Inge

Abstract

This paper estimates the effects of attending medical school on health outcomes by exploiting that admission to medical school in the Netherlands is determined by a lottery. Among the applicants for medical school, people who attended medical school have on average 1.5 more years of completed education than people who did not. They are also more likely to have been exposed to a health-related education curriculum. The results show only modest impacts on health outcomes. Attending medical school reduces alcohol consumption and being underweight somewhat, and has a small positive impact on self-reported health status. It has, however, a small negative effect on the frequency of physical exercise and no significant impact on smoking, and being overweight or obese. Attending medical school does have a large positive impact on the probability of being registered for donations of organs.

Suggested Citation

  • Leuven, Edwin & Oosterbeek, Hessel & de Wolf, Inge, 2013. "The effects of medical school on health outcomes: Evidence from admission lotteries," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(4), pages 698-707.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jhecon:v:32:y:2013:i:4:p:698-707
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2013.04.001
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Chen, Stacey H. & Chen, Jennjou & Chuang, Hongwei & Lin, Tzu-Hsin, 2023. "Physicians Treating Physicians: Relational and Informational Advantages in Treatment and Survival," IZA Discussion Papers 16048, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    2. Anupam Jena & David Slusky & Lilly Springer, 2023. "Occupational Hazard? An Analysis of Birth Outcomes Among Physician Mothers," NBER Working Papers 31955, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Amy Finkelstein & Petra Persson & Maria Polyakova & Jesse M. Shapiro, 2022. "A Taste of Their Own Medicine: Guideline Adherence and Access to Expertise," American Economic Review: Insights, American Economic Association, vol. 4(4), pages 507-526, December.
    4. Frakes, Michael & Gruber, Jonathan & Jena, Anupam, 2021. "Is great information good enough? Evidence from physicians as patients," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    5. Mark Anderson, D. & Diris, Ron & Montizaan, Raymond & Rees, Daniel I., 2023. "The effects of becoming a physician on prescription drug use and mental health treatment," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    6. Fiva, Jon H. & Hægeland, Torbjørn & Rønning, Marte & Syse, Astri, 2014. "Access to treatment and educational inequalities in cancer survival," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 98-111.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Education gradient; Admission lotteries; Medical school; Health outcomes; Organ donation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • I23 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Higher Education; Research Institutions
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality

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