Confidence, Competence and Cadavers: Improving the Self-Perception of Practice through Practical Teaching.

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medical Education
• Clinical Skills Training
• Competency-Based Education

Background:

• Cadaver practical sessions are a common method for teaching clinical skills to veterinary students.
• Confidence and competence are often conflated in Competency-Based Education (CBE).
• Evaluating the impact of practical sessions on student self-perceptions is crucial for effective training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of cadaver practical sessions on veterinary students' self-rated confidence and competence.
• To explore the comparability of confidence and self-assessed competence as measures in CBE.
• To identify any gender-based differences in self-assessed competence following practical sessions.

Main Methods:

• A pre-post survey design was employed with 67 veterinary students.
• Student self-ratings of confidence and self-assessed competence were collected before and after a cadaver practical session.
• Statistical analyses included linear mixed effects models and weighted kappa tests.

Main Results:

• The cadaver practical significantly improved overall confidence scores (0.44 points, p < .001) and self-assessed competence (0.60 points, p < .001).
• Female students reported lower self-assessed competence scores by 0.87 points compared to male students (p = 0.005).
• While confidence and self-assessed competence were strongly associated, their direct agreement was weak (pre-practical κ = 0.49, post-practical κ = 0.44).

Conclusions:

• Cadaver practical sessions effectively enhance veterinary students' confidence and self-assessed competence.
• Gender differences in self-assessed competence warrant further investigation in clinical skills training.
• Confidence and self-assessed competence are related but distinct measures that should be considered separately in educational assessments.