Self-assessment of communication skills among dental students

Abstract

The article is devoted to the actual problem of modern medical education – the practical aspect of the formation and development of the future doctor’s communicative skills. The importance of studying the self-assessment of communicative skills among medical students as a key element of their professional development is considered. The results of the self-assessment of communicative skills necessary for conducting a medical consultation among 1st-5th year students studying in the field of dentistry are presented. The respondents conducted self-analysis using the Likert scale (in points), entering their answers in a Google form. The respondents highly evaluated their ability to interact with patients in a clinical setting, including the beginning, gathering information, structuring, building relationships, and ending the consultation, as well as the options for explaining and planning during the consultation. The possible reasons for the high self-assessment of communication skills with patients were analyzed. It was proposed to include monitoring of self-assessment of communication skills in the professional training of future doctors, which would allow for identifying the level of their development, identifying areas for improvement, and adapting the educational material and programs.