About the nature of medical knowledge and its teaching (Part II)

Abstract

Introduction: The clinical care of individual patients represents the most characteristic activity of the medical profession, while the diagnostic process is the cornerstone of clinical reasoning. Self-explanation, structured reflection and opportunities for clinical activity are the foundations of efficient medical education.

Objective: To identify the resources available to carry out the assessment of the diagnostic process as the center of clinical reasoning, as well as the errors that may occur in this process and their correction.

Author's stance: Knowledge of a metacognitive nature in relation to the characteristics of medical knowledge and its teaching should be part of knowledge possessed by both medical professors and students themselves. Its adequate consideration and the development of medical knowledge poses challenges in terms of the evaluation modalities that may be more appropriate to assess accurately the capabilities achieved by learners and guide the corrective actions that allowed to amend the difficulties detected.

Conclusions: An adequate assessment of the trainees' clinical reasoning requires considering not only to the process outcomes, but also its different stages and their justification, which requires from the student to deploy and expose the mental processes that she or he develops in the cases treated. The occurrence of errors in the diagnostic process, their causes and the appropriate measures for their correction must be taken into account in the training process, in order to contribute to minimize them.