Correlation between theoretical knowledge and the difference between self‐ and teaching doctor‐assessment

Abstract

AbstractObjectivesThe right intuition for self‐assessment without overestimating or underestimating oneself compared to theoretical knowledge is a skill that requires conscious practice and is very often paradoxically opposed to the level of knowledge. Self‐assessment is an essential skill for dental professionals for lifelong learning and improvement. The objective of our study was to assess the correlation between theoretical knowledge and the difference between self‐ and teaching doctor‐assessment.MethodsThe app “digital course organizer” for organization and assessment was used for the self‐ and teaching doctor‐assessment of students for each day of patient treatment during the clinical courses at a university hospital. The difference between the self‐ and teaching doctor‐assessment was compared to the score of an initial theoretical written test at the beginning of the eighth semester to assess the correlation between overestimation or underestimation and theoretical knowledge.ResultsA total of 309 dental students over four semesters in the clinical study phase (fourth and fifth years; eighth and 10th semesters) participated in the investigation. The overall view of all values showed very low correlations (<0.2) of the assessment difference values of both practical courses for the initial written test.ConclusionThere were very low correlations between the initial written test (theoretical knowledge) and the difference between self‐ and teaching doctor‐assessment as well as no evidence of overestimation and underestimation.