Perception of medical students on the development of the clinical reasoning competence

Abstract

Introduction: The way by which physicians process clinical reasoning is a relevant topic in the discussions on medical education because, in medical activity, the ultimate goal is to obtain the correct diagnosis and conduct. The challenge is to highlight which factors influence this performance. Objective: The objective of this study is to understand how the development of the clinical reasoning competence occurs according to the medical students’ perception. Method: This research has a descriptive focus and employs a qualitative approach in the ordering of data, classification process, and final analysis of information from 36 semi-structured interviews with medical students, from July to September 2020, in Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil. Result: Thematic analysis was carried out, and the category ‘perception of the factors that influence its achievement’ emerged, with the ‘methodological and curricular structure’ subcategories perceived as the main influencing factors, through characteristics such as interdisciplinarity, early interaction with practical activities, stimulus to autonomy and teaching guidance. Participation in monitoring, academic leagues and extension projects were also considered, as well as the experience of the process of learning appropriation. Conclusion: The present study addresses the topic of clinical reasoning and brings as a contribution the analysis of the factors that influence its development, during undergraduate school, based on the students’ viewpoint. Its results bring benefits to medical education, as they expand the understanding of the process of developing the clinical reasoning competence.