Overview of AAMC Graduate Questionnaire Survey
Each year, on February 14th, all fourth-year medical students receive a personal survey link via email to the AAMC Graduation Questionnaire (the “GQ”). The GQ is a national survey administered by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). It provides data that help the national organization enact policies and provide services that improve medical education, and it provides insights to member schools on their student bodies’ career goals and well-being, and their own programs’ performance.
Student feedback on medical education experience at Downstate College of Medicine is very important to us. Downstate uses the information from the GQ to improve the medical student experience. The GQ includes questions related to:
- Pre-clinical, clinical and elective experiences
- Preparedness for residency
- Medical education experiences
- School administration, student affairs, and student services
- Financial aid and indebtedness
- Career intentions
- Strengths of the medical school and areas that need improvement
AAMC GQ Survey Glossary and FAQ
The language of the GQ is generic and not always obviously aligned to our curriculum and other programs. The section below will help you connect their descriptions to our local circumstances.
On the Survey, what are they referring to?
When answering questions about Family Medicine, bear in mind that our Family Medicine “equivalent” is Primary Care I.
Students are observed performing a partial or complete history and physical in every clerkship. You may recall the reflection write-up about these observed H&Ps.
There is a required Mid-Clerkship Formative Feedback Process session with the clerkship or site director in every clerkship (except Anesthesia).
The deans in the Office of Student Affairs are Drs. Jeffrey Putman and Ms. Sophie Christoforou.
The Education / Curricular Affairs Deans are Dr. Jason Lazar (the overall Vice Dean for Education), Dr. Riccardo Bianchi (Foundations of Medicine), Dr. Elka Jacobson-Dickman (Clinical Medicine), and Dr. Antonia Quinn (Clinical Skills).
Academic counseling is provided by the academic and student affairs deans (all those listed above), Dr. Seth Langley, the director of Academic Services, Dr. Carla Boutin-Foster, the Associate Dean for Diversity Education and Research, and your Early Career Advisor or Clinical Advisory Dean.
The Student Affairs deans (above), Dr. Boutin-Foster (above), or Dr. Maria Deutscher, director of the Counseling Center and the other psychological counselors.
This refers to one-on-one meetings with the counselors at the Office of Financial Aid, and to the informational programs hosted by that office.
This includes the Early Career Advisor and Clinical Advisory Dean programs, evening specialty information sessions for third-year students every winter, one-on-one counseling with Departmental Specialty Advisors and Clinical Department Chairs, and group programs such as the Alternative Medical Careers night.
Office of the Dean of Students/Associate Dean for Students
Office of the Dean for Educational Programs/Curricular Affairs