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The Returns to Medical School: Evidence from Admission Lotteries

Author

Listed:
  • Nadine Ketel
  • Edwin Leuven
  • Hessel Oosterbeek
  • Bas van der Klaauw

Abstract

We exploit admission lotteries to estimate the returns to medical school in the Netherlands. Using data from up to 22 years after the lottery, we find that in every single year after graduation doctors earn at least 20 percent more than people who end up in their next-best occupation. Twenty-two years after the lottery the earnings difference is almost 50 percent. Only a small fraction of this difference can be attributed to differences in working hours and human capital investments. The returns do not vary with gender or ability, and shift the entire earnings distribution. (JEL D44, I11, I26, J24, J31, J44)

Suggested Citation

  • Nadine Ketel & Edwin Leuven & Hessel Oosterbeek & Bas van der Klaauw, 2016. "The Returns to Medical School: Evidence from Admission Lotteries," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 8(2), pages 225-254, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aejapp:v:8:y:2016:i:2:p:225-54
    Note: DOI: 10.1257/app.20140506
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Anderson, Gary M. & Halcoussis, Dennis & Johnston, Linda & Lowenberg, Anton D., 2000. "Regulatory barriers to entry in the healthcare industry: the case of alternative medicine," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 40(4), pages 485-502.
    2. Adriana D. Kugler & Robert M. Sauer, 2005. "Doctors without Borders? Relicensing Requirements and Negative Selection in the Market for Physicians," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 23(3), pages 437-466, July.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Ketel, Nadine & Leuven, Edwin & Oosterbeek, Hessel & van der Klaauw, Bas, 2019. "Do Dutch dentists extract monopoly rents?," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 145-158.
    2. Di Paolo, Antonio & Tansel, Aysit, 2017. "Analyzing Wage Differentials by Fields of Study: Evidence from Turkey," MPRA Paper 80299, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Artmann, Elisabeth & Oosterbeek, Hessel & van der Klaauw, Bas, 2019. "Do doctors improve the health care of their parents? Evidence from admission lotteries," CEPR Discussion Papers 14061, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    4. Arpita Patnaik & Matthew J. Wiswall & Basit Zafar, 2020. "College Majors," NBER Working Papers 27645, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Artmann, Elisabeth & Ketel, Nadine & Oosterbeck, Hessel & van der Klaauw, Bas, 2018. "Field of study and family outcomes," Working Papers in Economics 736, University of Gothenburg, Department of Economics.
    6. Di Paolo, Antonio & Tansel, Aysit, 2017. "Analyzing Wage Differentials by Fields of Study: Evidence from Turkey," GLO Discussion Paper Series 91, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    7. Heinesen, Eskil, 2018. "Admission to higher education programmes and student educational outcomes and earnings–Evidence from Denmark," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 1-19.
    8. Yiqun Chen & Petra Persson & Maria Polyakova, 2019. "The Roots of Health Inequality and The Value of Intra-Family Expertise," NBER Working Papers 25618, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    9. Rostam-Afschar Davud, 2020. "Inklusive Beschäftigungspolitik: Fakten, Herausforderungen und neue Ideen zur Regulierung von Berufen," Zeitschrift für Wirtschaftspolitik, De Gruyter, vol. 69(2), pages 129-139, August.
    10. Teodora Boneva & Marta Golin & Christopher Rauh, 2019. "Can Perceived Returns Explain Enrollment Gaps in Postgraduate Education?," Working Papers 2019-045, Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group.
    11. Joseph G. Altonji & Ling Zhong, 2021. "The Labor Market Returns to Advanced Degrees," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 39(2), pages 303-360.
    12. Kellner, Christian & Reinstein, David & Riener, Gerhard, 2019. "Ex-ante commitments to “give if you win” exceed donations after a win," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 169(C), pages 109-127.
    13. Morris M. Kleiner, 2017. "The influence of occupational licensing and regulation," IZA World of Labor, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), pages 392-392, October.
    14. Artmann, Elisabeth & Ketel, Nadine & Oosterbeek, Hessel & van der Klaauw, Bas, 2021. "Field of study and partner choice," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D44 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Auctions
    • I11 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Analysis of Health Care Markets
    • I26 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Returns to Education
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • J44 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Professional Labor Markets and Occupations

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