Impact of simulated patients on students’ self‐assessment of competency in practice of geriatric dentistry

Purpose The evaluation of the effectiveness of simulation training in dentistry has previously been focused primarily on psychomotor hand skills. This study explored the impact of simulated patient (SP) encounters in simulation on students’ self‐assessment of competency in their clinical and communication abilities with geriatric patients. Methods Students from 2 cohorts were recruited for this study. Cohort 1 (n = 30) participated in the standard curriculum with no simulation training and served as the control group. Cohort 2 (n = 34) participated in a SP experience, simulating the initial stages of a care visit for 2 nursing home patients. Students’ perceptions of competency to perform these clinical and communication tasks were assessed. A group debriefing session was held 5 weeks post‐simulation where Cohort 2 completed a student feedback form. Results A statistically significant change (P