Comparing Student Satisfaction Metrics: Strategic Student Survey versus Traditional Tools

Abstract

Background: Utilizing multiple methods to assess student satisfaction across the medical curriculum can provide a longitudinal view of the student experience and allow for more timely interventions. To this end, we developed the Strategic Student Survey (S3) to assess student satisfaction across all 4 years, which serves to complement other established assessments such as the AAMC Year Two Questionnaire (Y2Q), End of Clerkship (EOC) evaluations, and the AAMC Graduation Questionnaire (GQ).

Objective: To determine the extent to which our internal survey (Strategic Student Survey) results mirror those of the Y2Q, EOC evaluations, and GQ.

Methods: The S3 consists of ~50 questions derived from the Liaison Committee for Medical Education’s Independent Student Analysis survey instrument and customized with our school-specific elements. The S3 was administered annually to all medical students from first to fourth year (MS1 – MS4), starting in 2018. The S3 results were collated and grouped by class year with the corresponding Y2Q, EOC, and GQ results. Responses to questions that were common across the S3, Y2Q, EOC, and GQ were compared for the last 3 years.

Results: S3 outcomes closely aligned with responses from the other instruments. For instance, the Class of 2023 “strongly agreed” or “agreed” with the statement “I am satisfied with the quality of my medical education” as follows: S3 responses (From MS2s: 77%, From MS3s: 88%, From MS4s: 93%); Y2Q responses (From MS2s: 80%); GQ responses (From MS4s: 91%).

Similarly, the evaluation of 8 clerkships demonstrated a consistent pattern of high ratings across the S3, EOC, and GQ. For example, the Classes of 2021, 2022, 2023 rated the quality of the Internal Medicine clerkship as “Excellent” or “Very Good” in this way: S3 responses (From MS3s: 86%, 87%, and 89%, respectively, for these 3 class years); EOC responses (From MS3s: 87%, 91%, and 86%); GQ responses (From MS4s: 88%, 87%, and 92%).

Conclusion: These findings indicate that the S3 is a reliable alternative to the Y2Q, EOC, and GQ for gauging student satisfaction. In fact, initial review of the data suggest that S3 may even be a better predictor of GQ responses than EOC. Because S3 is administered during each class year of medical school, it allows for the early identification and address of student concerns, contributing to maintaining LCME accreditation standards.