Student experiences of learning clinical reasoning

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Sociocultural Theory
• Clinical Reasoning

Background:

• Students face challenges in acquiring clinical reasoning skills.
• A sociocultural perspective offers insights into factors influencing skill development.
• Experiences can either promote or inhibit student participation in clinical reasoning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore undergraduate medical students' experiences learning clinical reasoning.
• To analyze these experiences through the lens of participation and co-construction.
• To identify factors that impact the development of clinical reasoning skills.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative interview study with 25 Year-6 undergraduate medical students.
• Thematic analysis of interview data.
• Analysis of findings using concepts of participation and co-construction.

Main Results:

• Identified themes: practicing with undifferentiated patients, explicit teacher thinking, lack of independence/involvement, poor communication/feedback, and information confusion.
• Themes represent a continuum of participation and co-construction in clinical reasoning.
• Student experiences highlight barriers and facilitators to skill development.

Conclusions:

• Findings help clinical educators understand student struggles with clinical reasoning.
• A sociocultural approach enhances understanding of difficulties.
• Increased participation and co-construction are key in collaborative patient care settings.