Exploring Clinical Reasoning Development Perspectives among Final Year Medical Students

Abstract

Introduction: Clinical reasoning is essential for effective clinical practice. Clinical reasoning helps medical students for clinical decision-making. However, development of clinical reasoning is challenging. The purpose of this study was to explore clinical reasoning perspectives among final year medical students. Methods: Exploratory descriptive qualitative research design was employed. The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board and Ethics Committee. Data were collected through focused group discussion from 2 medical colleges in English language. A semi-structured guide was used for data collection. Manual content analysis was applied for data analysis. The data were summarized in categories, subcategories that were presented with their pertinent direct quotes. Results: Six categories namely mentoring support and guidance, learning challenges, teaching and learning methods, assessment and feedback, systematic thinking, and being a life-long learning were developed. The categories represented appreciating and devaluating expressions of medical students for the development of clinical reasoning. Medical student sex pressed the need for mentoring, bridging theory-practice gap, clinical resources, thinking systematically and role of life-long learning. Where as, curriculum overload, decontextualized curriculum, practice in consistencies, and cultural issues hinder development of clinical reasoning. Challenges can be alleviated with effective clinical strategies, role modelling, being and becoming life-long learner and evidence-based medical practices.