There are a number of possible explanations as to why the
correlations between self-assessments and actual scores were
high for procedures yet weak for general clinical skills. General
clinical skills include many proficiencies needed to
take patient histories, perform physical examinations, and
communicate with many different types of patients. Students
may have an inflated perception of their proficiency when
judged in relation to performance with a specific new case
after only a few years of medical school experience with a
limited sample of patients. On the other hand, most students
have limited experience with the skills needed to perform
specific procedures and may therefore have a more realistic
perception of their proficiency based on their recent acquisition
of these skills.