Gender Differences in Medical Students' Self-Assessment: Longitudinal Multi-Cohort Study
Lennart Handke1, Hendrik Friederichs1
1Medical Education Research Group, Medical School OWL, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 25, Bielefeld, 33615, Germany, 49 52110686623.
JMIR Medical Education
|July 17, 2026
Summary
Medical students show gender differences in self-assessment accuracy, with men rating themselves more accurately than women. This study highlights the need for targeted support to improve self-assessment skills, especially for women in medical education.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Psychology
- Gender Studies
Background:
- Self-assessment is crucial for lifelong learning in medicine.
- Gender influences moderators of self-assessment accuracy.
- Systematic gender differences in self-assessment accuracy are hypothesized.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate gender differences in medical students' self-assessment accuracy.
- To determine the magnitude of gender differences in self-assessment, considering academic progress and knowledge.
Main Methods:
- Surveyed medical students from 3 cohorts over 3 waves during the Progress Test Medicine.
- Students self-assessed their expected test performance in 5 knowledge areas.
- Analyzed self-assessment accuracy using linear mixed models, controlling for academic progress and knowledge.
Main Results:
- Women (66.6%) rated themselves significantly less accurately than men.
- The gender effect on self-assessment accuracy ranged from -6.08 to -3.74 percentage points.
- These differences were statistically significant (adjusted P values <.001 to .01).
Conclusions:
- Systematic gender differences in self-assessment favor men.
- The magnitude of this difference is comparable to a semester's worth of academic knowledge.
- Targeted support for realistic self-assessment may particularly benefit women in medical studies.
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