title: Simple cost analysis of a rural dental training facility in Australia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Student clinical placements away from the university dental school clinics are an integral component of dental training programs. In 2009, the School of Dentistry and Oral Health, Griffith University, commenced a clinical placement in a remote rural community in Australia. This paper presents a simple cost analysis of the project from mid-2008 to mid-2011.
  
  
  METHODS
  All expenditures of the project are audited by the Financial and Planning Services unit of the university. The budget was divided into capital and operational costs, and the latter were further subdivided into salary and non-salary costs, and these were further analysed for the various types of expenditures incurred. The value of the treatments provided and income generated is also presented.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Remote rural placements have additional (to the usual university dental clinic) costs in terms of salary incentives, travel, accommodation and subsistence support. However, the benefits of the placement to both the students and the local community might outweigh the additional costs of the placement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Because of high costs of rural student clinical placements, the financial support of partners, including the local Shire Council, state/territory and Commonwealth governments, is crucial in the establishment and ongoing sustainability of rural dental student clinical placements.
authors.affiliation: Rural, Remote and Indigenous Oral Health, School of Dentistry and Oral Health and Population and Social Health Research Program, Griffith Health Institute, Queensland, Australia. r.lalloo@griffith.edu.au
authors.forename: Ratilal
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lalloo
authors.forename: Ward
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Massey
mesh_terms: D002017:Budgets; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D006801:Humans; D011793:Queensland; D012424:Rural Population; D012575:Schools, Dental / Q000191:economics*