Limitations
References
offering ways to help them improve .
These results highlight the importance of helping all students develop their self-assessment abilities , but most especially low-performing students , who have previously been shown to make overly optimistic judgements about their own level of performance ( Ehrlinger et al , 2008 ).
It is presumed that medical graduates will have acquired self-assessment skills before graduation . It is therefore incumbent upon us as educators to assist in this process of self-improvement . This will require role modelling , so that students can appreciate the importance of practicing selfassessment skills , as well as offering multiple opportunities for them to identify their strengths and weaknesses in a safe , non-threatening environment . A tall order indeed .
Limitations
This study was limited to anatomy self-assessment in the setting of a mock written test under examination conditions at only one point in time . It is not possible to determine whether this lack of insight also extends to practical anatomy “ spotter ” examinations . Moreover , since the sample size for some of the sub-groups was very small , the between-group differences are not likely to be relevant . We have no way of determining the extent to which students responded honestly to the tasks .
In conclusion , the results of this study highlight the need for targeted self-assessment skills training in medical school and beyond .
References
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