Development Strategies in Medical Education

Introduction: Self-assessment is a valuable tool for evaluating knowledge and clinical skills. Various factors, including self-esteem, can influence clinical performance. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the Pediatric Dentistry Department's clinical skills training program at Birjand University of Medical Sciences (BUMS) in 2021, utilizing students' self-evaluation of their learning and self-esteem as key indicators.

 Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study performed by census sampling method way on 64 students and graduates of Dentistry student of BUMS in 2021. The standard Cooper smith self-confidence questionnaire and the clinical skills self-assessment questionnaire of pediatric dentistry were used to collect information. Finally, the data were analyzed with spss22 software.

Results:  The results indicated that participants demonstrated the highest level of skill in "examination" and the lowest in "intra pulpal injection" among the seven clinical skills assessed: examination, behavior management, prevention, injection, restoration, pulp treatment, and space management. A statistically significant relationship was found between participants' self-esteem and their perceived level of skill in examination (p < 0.005).

Discussion: This study demonstrated that participants reported adequate levels of clinical skill in various aspects of pediatric dentistry. While the pediatric dentistry department's clinical training program has been effective in imparting essential skills, there is potential for further refinement and enhancement in certain areas.