Curriculum evaluation, education financing, and career plans of 1983 medical school graduates.

The Association of American Medical Colleges annually gathers data on curriculum evaluation, financing, and career plans from senior medical students through a graduation questionnaire. According to the 1983 survey, a majority of the seniors perceived that an appropriate amount of time was devoted to the various areas of instruction at their institutions. The average indebtedness of the graduates was reported to be increasing, and 84.4 percent reported having medical school debts. Only 13.2 percent of the graduates indicated plans to enter a career in research, although over one-third had some research involvement while in medical school. Those who participated in research activities during medical school were somewhat more likely to plan significant research involvement after graduation than those who were not involved in research in medical school.