Self- and peer assessment in a first-year communication and interviewing course

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Physician Professional Development

Background:

• Peer and self-evaluation are vital for physician growth.
• Learning and implementing these skills face significant barriers.
• Longitudinal integration into medical curricula is proposed to enhance these abilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce first-year medical students to peer and self-assessment.
• To evaluate the accuracy of student self-assessments compared to peer and faculty evaluations.
• To identify challenges in early medical student self-assessment.

Main Methods:

• First-year medical students conducted peer and self-assessments of recorded interviews.
• Written assessments were completed by students for themselves and their peers.
• Faculty also assessed student performances.

Main Results:

• Peer assessments were more lenient than faculty assessments.
• Students were most critical of their own performances.
• Students effectively assessed peers but struggled with accurate self-appraisal.

Conclusions:

• First-year medical students demonstrate capability in peer assessment.
• Accurate self-assessment skills require further development in early medical training.
• Targeted interventions are necessary to improve physician self-evaluation abilities.