Abstract:
Background: Clinical reasoning is a critical competency in medical education, enabling future physicians to make accurate
diagnoses and management decisions. Traditional didactic methods often fail to actively engage students in this cognitive
process.
Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of interactive learning strategies in improving clinical reasoning skills among
undergraduate medical students.
Study Design & Setting: This study was conducted at the Department of Medical Education of Foundation University
Islamabad involving undergraduate medical students across all years of study.
Methodology: A total of 120 students were enrolled and randomly divided into two groups: Group A (n=60, traditional lecturebased
learning) and Group B (n=60, interactive learning strategies). Demographic data including age, gender, year of study,
prior clinical exposure, and previous participation in reasoning workshops were recorded. Pre- and post-intervention
assessments were conducted using a validated Clinical Reasoning Skills Questionnaire (CRSQ) along with objective structured
clinical examination (OSCE) stations. Data were analyzed using SPSS v25. Results were expressed as mean ± SD for
continuous variables and frequency/percentage for categorical variables. Paired and independent t-tests along with chi-square
tests were applied, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant.
Results: Of the 120 students, mean age was 21.6 ± 1.8 years with 55% females. Group B showed significantly higher postintervention
CRSQ scores (72.4 ± 8.5) compared to Group A (61.8 ± 7.9; p < 0.001). Improvement was consistent across
gender, study year, and prior clinical exposure. Interactive learning was also associated with higher OSCE performance (78.9 ±
9.2 vs. 66.5 ± 8.7; p < 0.001).
Conclusion: Interactive learning strategies are more effective than traditional lecture-based methods in improving clinical
reasoning skills among undergraduate medical students. Incorporating such methods into medical curricula may foster better
clinical competence.
