Table 3 Comparison of the pre- and post-internal medicine block’s degree of self-assessed “clinical excellence” among three groups of class 2013 and 2014 clerks

I am good at basic electrocardiogram (EKG) diagnostic skills

3.2 ± 0.93*

4.7 ± 1.31^†

3.06 ± 0.42*

4.1 ± 0.92^†

4.1 ± 0.39

4.7 ± 0.77

I am good at basic chest X-ray (CXR) diagnostic skills

2.35 ± 1.09

4.4 ± 1.13^††

2.19 ± 0.55

3.9 ± 0.87^#,^†

2.87 ± 0.89

3.2 ± 1.03^#

I am good at basic abdominal plain film (KUB) diagnostic skills

2.84 ± 1.28

4.6 ± 1.16^†

2.51 ± 1.04

3.5 ± 1.36^#,^†

2.94 ± 0.75

3.8 ± 0.64^#

I am good at basic arterial blood gas diagnostic skills

2.95 ± 0.70*

4.8 ± 1.14^††

3.04 ± 1.03*

4.0 ± 1.18^†

3.56 ± 0.54

3.9 ± 0.99^#

I am good at basic complete blood count and biochemistry diagnostic skills

2.65 ± 0.62

4.3 ± 0.78^†

2.93 ± 0.82

3.6 ± 1.16^#

3.2 ± 0.67

4.1 ± 1.3

I am good at image and laboratory-related clinical reasoning skills

2.23 ± 0.92*

4.5 ± 0.81^†

2.78 ± 0.60

3.7 ± 1.15^#,^†

2.96 ± 0.91

3.4 ± 1.14^#