Roughly six in 10 physicians said they believe their education from graduate school was worth the cost of their degree, according to Gallup poll published Feb. 16.
While 58 percent of medical school graduates said their education was worth the cost, only half of physicians surveyed said medical school prepared them well for life outside of school.
Results of the poll were compiled from the Gallup-Purdue Index, which conducted web surveys from Jan. 25, 2016, through Feb. 23, 2016. The random sample of participants comprised 4,105 respondents with a master's degree or higher who obtained their degree between 2000 and 2015, were aged 18 years or older, had internet access and lived in the contiguous U.S. or Washington, D.C.
Here are three other results from the Gallup poll.
1. Thirty-five percent of physicians surveyed said they had a professor who cared about them as a person during their medical graduate degree program.
2. More than half of those surveyed with medical degrees (54 percent) said they had a mentor during graduate school who encouraged them to pursue their goals and dreams, compared to 19 percent of individuals who graduated with a law degree and 14 percent of participants who graduated with an MBA.
3. Slightly more than half (53 percent) of medical degree holders said they maintained a job or internship during medical school that allowed them to apply what they were learning in the classroom.
"While higher education discussions often focus on ways to improve the undergraduate experience, thought leaders in higher education should also consider how to maximize the postgraduate experience. Though the context of undergraduate and postgraduate education may differ, supportive and applied learning experiences are critical to the success of both," Gallup concluded.