Role of Peer Assessment in Modifying Professional Behavior among Phase 1 Medical Undergraduates: A Prospective Interventional Study

Abstract

Abstract Background: India’s competency-based medical education curriculum has now included professionalism as a core competency for medical graduates. However, assessing professionalism and interpersonal skills remains challenging. This study explores the impact of peer assessment (PA) on MBBS first-phase students’ professional behavior and its association with gender and academic performance. Methodology: We conducted a prospective interventional study. Over three iterations which were done at the interval of 1 month, each student evaluated six peers using the “Rochester PA tool” comprising 15 standardized items. Statistical analysis employed t-tests, Chi-square tests, analysis of variance, and correlation tests. Results: Hundred and forty students were enrolled and their responses were analyzed. “Unable to answer” responses significantly decreased over time (P < 0.0001), particularly when students did not consider peers as close friends (P < 0.001). PA scores remained stable over three timelines, but in the first and second iterations, females received higher scores for all the factors except for intrapersonal attributes. Academic grades correlated positively with PA scores for work habits, global items, and overall performance but not for interpersonal attributes. Conclusions: This study highlights PA as a valuable training tool for inculcating an understanding of professionalism among medical students in early years of MBBS course. We did not find any improvement in the professional behavior after repeated implementation of PA probably because the gap between the two evaluations was insufficient to bring about noticeable behavioral changes. Further research is required to explore if early introduction of such assessments in medical school can nurture the professional development leading to improvement in the accuracy of later peer evaluations.