Evaluating and comparing critical thinking skills of residents of Tehran University of Medical Sciences

Abstract

Background Today’s complexities and diversity in the clinical setting have revealed the need to pay attention to strengthening critical thinking (CT) skills. The present study aimed to evaluate and compare CT skills in the residents of the Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Methods This is a cross-sectional study. The study's statistical population included 284 residents in orthopedic, internal medicine, and surgery groups studying in the PGY1 to PGY4 years of residency. The data collection tool was the California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST) form B. The collected data were entered into SPSS-16 software and analyzed using descriptive (mean and standard deviation) and inferential (one-way ANOVA) statistics. The significant level in all tests was considered at P < 0.05. Results 189 out of 284 residents completed and returned the questionnaire, and the response rate was 66%. The mean CT skill score of residents (M = 13.81, SD = 3.52) was lower than the optimal level (M = 17.1 SD = 5.0). Comparing the mean CT skill scores of the residents separately for the residency year revealed a significant decrease in CT scores in the 4 years. A significant difference was found between the CT skill scores in the three groups (internal medicine, general surgery, and orthopedic surgery). Conclusion The CT skills of the residents of Tehran University of Medical Sciences were generally below the optimal level. The CT score of the residents show an increase in PGY2, but a decrease in PGY3 and PGY4. Due to the emphasis of accreditation institutions, the World Federation for Medical Education, and other international educational institutions on the importance of critical thinking, it is recommended to pay more attention to the factors related to the promotion and development of CT skills in residency programs.

Encouraging Students’ Critical Thinking Using Problem-Based Book Integrated Daily Problems and Solutions about Environmental Pollution

“…They also found that students were low on the truth-seeking scale due to their reading habits. Another study in Tehran, Iran, found more than 65% of students fell into the weak CT category (Mehrpour et al, 2023). Findings from previous studies indicated that it was necessary to strengthen students' Critical Thinking.…”

“…Critical thinking skills (CT) are essential for learners as they are needed to be more skilful, to identify alternative solutions, to prevent mistakes, and to make the right decisions (Mehrpour et al, 2023). CT is related to achieving students' success in learning while helping them avoid negative life phenomena (Damopolii et al, 2022;Ghanizadeh, 2017).…”

Critical Thinking and Clinical Reasoning in Undergraduate Medical Course: A Mixed-Methods Study in a Medical College in Kolkata, West Bengal, India

“…Critical thinking is not explicitly included within the ambits of core competency in medical curricula in most cases. 1 , 2 , 5 Now, the time requires that teaching and learning critical thinking skills should be explicitly considered in the curriculum for medical undergraduates. However, critical thinking and its implications in undergraduate medical education suffer from a lack of conceptual clarity.…”