Workplace-based assessment for international medical graduates: at what cost?

OBJECTIVE To estimate the cost of resources required to deliver a program to assess international medical graduates (IMGs) in Newcastle, Australia, known as the Workplace Based Assessment (WBA) Program. DESIGN AND SETTING A costing study to identify and evaluate the resources required and the overheads of delivering the program for a cohort of 15 IMGs, based on costs in 2012. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Labour-related costs. RESULTS The total cost in 2012 for delivering the program to a typical cohort of 15 candidates was $243,384. This equated to an average of $16,226 per IMG. After allowing for the fees paid by IMGs, the WBA Program had a deficit of $153,384, or $10,226 per candidate, which represents the contribution made by the health system. CONCLUSION The cost per candidate to the health system of this intensive WBA program for IMGs is small.