Reflections on clinical practice by first-year dental students: a qualitative study

Area of Science:

• Dental Education
• Medical Education
• Cognitive Development

Background:

• Dental students face challenges integrating extensive didactic material with clinical practice.
• Promoting critical thinking is a key outcome in dental education.
• Reflection is crucial for learners to "make meaning" and develop critical thinking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore how reflection on clinical experiences facilitates critical thinking in first-year dental students.
• To assess the role of reflection in integrating didactic coursework with clinical care.

Main Methods:

• Pilot study utilizing semi-structured interviews, clinical observations, and written reflection papers.
• Thematic analysis based on Luborsky's methodology was employed.
• Data analysis focused on identifying major themes in student reflections.

Main Results:

• Identified themes include connections between didactic material and clinical experience, students' future roles, and dentist-patient interactions.
• A reflective thinking process was observed, starting with questioning assumptions and leading to new perspectives and action.
• Students demonstrated enhanced learning and integration of knowledge through reflection.

Conclusions:

• Encouraging reflective practices, such as clinic journaling, can enhance dental student learning.
• Reflection appears to be a valuable tool for developing critical thinking and integrating theory with practice in dental education.
• Further research is warranted to explore the full potential of reflective learning in dental curricula.