Purpose-based self-evaluation of the diagnosis of oral pathologic lesions in Isfahan dental school students in 2014‒15

The aim of this study was to determine purpose-based self-evaluation for the diagnosis of oral pathologic lesions among Isfahan dental school students in different educational levels so that the shortcomings and advantages of theoretical courses on the subject could be evaluated from the beginning to the end of the course.

In this cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical study a self-evaluation questionnaire was designed by students and approved by the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology academic staff in Isfahan Dental School. A total of 164 dental students in 6th, 10th and 12th semesters were included in the study using census sampling technique. The students answered the questions. Data were analyzed with SPSS 20 using two-way ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney and post hoc Tukey tests (α=0.05).

A total of 164 dental students from semesters 6 (68, 41.5%), 10 (51, 31.1%) and 12 (45, 27.4%) were evaluated. The mean scores of self-assessment were higher in students in the10th and 12th semesters compared to students in the 6th semester (p value = 0.001). Two-way ANOVA showed that the effects of educational level and sex on the mean self-evaluation score were significant (p value = 0.004 and p value = 0.006, respectively).

Self-evaluation scores of students to diagnose oral pathologic lesions were higher in students in the 10th and 12th semesters compared to those in the 6th semester, with a significant relationship with gender and age. In this context, female students exhibited higher scores compared to boys and the scores increased with age.