Based on this study of a single class at one medical school,
medical students’ self-assessments of proficiency on specific
technical tasks and procedures are more valid than self-assessments
of general clinical skills. Students tend to be
underconfident in assessing their technical abilities but
overconfident in assessing their general clinical skills.
Although self-assessment should not be used as the principal
measure of performance in clinical simulations, it may provide
supplemental information on proficiency. The inclusion
of self-assessment in related training programs may help
medical students to improve their ability to assess their own
strengths and weaknesses.