Chinese medical students' disposition for critical thinking: a mixed methods exploration

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Cognitive Science
• Psychology

Background:

• Critical thinking (CT) is a crucial skill for medical professionals.
• Evaluating CT disposition in Chinese medical students is important.
• Understanding the impact of medical education trends on CT is necessary.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the critical thinking disposition of Chinese medical students.
• To investigate how medical education influences CT development.

Main Methods:

• Multistage stratified cluster sampling of 1241 medical students across five training years and three institutions.
• Utilized the Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory-Chinese Version (CTDI-CV) and self-reported data.
• One-year follow-up of 112 students to track CTDI-CV score changes related to educational variables.

Main Results:

• The average CTDI-CV score was 287.04, with 58.7% scoring 280 or higher.
• Significant differences in CT scores were observed based on institution, academic year, GPA, study time, attitude toward medicine, career aspirations, CT familiarity, and perceived CT importance.
• Students scored highest in "inquisitiveness" and lowest in "truth seeking."
• A longitudinal study revealed significantly lower CT scores after one academic year.

Conclusions:

• Chinese medical students generally possess positive critical thinking dispositions.
• A decline in CT disposition was observed as students progressed through traditional medical training.
• Findings offer insights into the status of Chinese medical education and factors affecting students' CT disposition.