Does Becoming a Doctor Doesn't Requires Critical Thinking?

[Sivastraba]

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Here is a very interesting article I came upon. I have already finished medical school, and after reading this article I can definitely tell that critical thinking wasn't something really pursued by most of the students or faculty at my institution.... It seems like the entire Medical Curriculum is focused more on memorization... What does that make us? Food for thought....

Quote:
"Textbooks grew larger and curricula became more concentrated; students were expected to memorize and learn increasingly more material. Acquisition of scientific facts and information took precedence over learning scientific methods and concepts. Inevitably, the essential accompanying task of transmitting the methods of correct investigation, understanding, and evaluation of all this scientific data (that is, critical thinking) was lost by the roadside."

Complete Article

http://www.freeinquiry.com/critical-thinking.html


I welcome the flames and people who don't agree with what I am saying

 

[Sivastraba]

I screwed up the title... It should read: Does becoming a Doctor Require Critical Thinking?

 

[Solideliquid]

Have you passed the USMLE boards? If passing those exams doesn't require critical thinking I don't know what does.


😎

 

[Sivastraba]

Have you passed the USMLE boards? If passing those exams doesn't require critical thinking I don't know what does.

Yes I did pass USMLE 1 and 2 on the first attempt. I didn't get great scores on them. I thinks answering those questions requires more relying on your memory (ie., how much information you can recall). I could only see very few questions in which critical thinking was being tested as defined at the beginning of the thread....

 

[Poety]

Have you passed the USMLE boards? If passing those exams doesn't require critical thinking I don't know what does.

Yes I did pass USMLE 1 and 2 on the first attempt. I didn't get great scores on them. I thinks answering those questions requires more relying on your memory (ie., how much information you can recall). I could only see very few questions in which critical thinking was being tested as defined at the beginning of the thread....

Hey Solid, don't flame me 😀 but... I kinda of agree with Sivastraba - I think a lot of medical school is absolute rote memorization. I was lucky enough to go to an undergrad that required critical thinking and every exam was written (i.e. the blue books! absolutely NO multiple choice ugg) because the professors wanted to see our thought processes, and what methods we applied to get to the answer.

Anyway, I admit, I haven't done "great" in med school, but I'm not great at rote memorization, however I think being good at both is what makes a great physician. Perhaps most students are good at both despite the fact that medical education requires more of one (memorization) than the other (critical thinking) --- just a thought.

Oh and one more thing - I believe I read somewhere that a measure of ones intelligence is also partly based on their ability to store massive amounts of information as well as their ability to interpret data and solve problems.

 

[mosche]

Hey Solid, don't flame me 😀 but... I kinda of agree with Sivastraba - I think a lot of medical school is absolute rote memorization. I was lucky enough to go to an undergrad that required critical thinking and every exam was written (i.e. the blue books! absolutely NO multiple choice ugg) because the professors wanted to see our thought processes, and what methods we applied to get to the answer.

Anyway, I admit, I haven't done "great" in med school, but I'm not great at rote memorization, however I think being good at both is what makes a great physician. Perhaps most students are good at both despite the fact that medical education requires more of one (memorization) than the other (critical thinking) --- just a thought.

Oh and one more thing - I believe I read somewhere that a measure of ones intelligence is also partly based on their ability to store massive amounts of information as well as their ability to interpret data and solve problems.

Well said, though I assume that not everyone will agree.

It seems that every few years a new book/study/pedagogy expert/blah blah blah determines that an alternative educational format is superior to the one being utilized; then, when it fails to be perfect, another book/study/pedagogy expert...indicts it.

Ultimately, each individual interprets data differently. Some will just "memorize it for an exam", while others will memorize it for another reason, say empirical necessity. Thus, depending on the circumstance, individuals will learn/have learned to apply the material based on his/her specific needs. So one individual has learned to think about data in a real-world paradigm, while the other has learned it for a very specific need--examination. Neither pedagogy is superior on its face; rather, depending on the situation, either can prove superior/effective.

Just my 2 pennies. Flame on!

 

[Poety]

Well said, though I assume that not everyone will agree.

It seems that every few years a new book/study/pedagogy expert/blah blah blah determines that an alternative educational format is superior to the one being utilized; then, when it fails to be perfect, another book/study/pedagogy expert...indicts it.

Ultimately, each individual interprets data differently. Some will just "memorize it for an exam", while others will memorize it for another reason, say empirical necessity. Thus, depending on the circumstance, individuals will learn/have learned to apply the material based on his/her specific needs. So one individual has learned to think about data in a real-world paradigm, while the other has learned it for a very specific need--examination. Neither pedagogy is superior on its face; rather, depending on the situation, either can prove superior/effective.

Just my 2 pennies. Flame on!

I concur 🙂 👍

 

[phllystyl]

While I agree that the first two and a considerable amount of the third years of medical school are just as you said, mostly memorization, I do feel there is a shift as you enter fourth year and beyond. As you gain more and more responsibility in actual patient care, it is the application and manipulation of everything that you have memorized that matters. On the fly synthesis and manipulation of data to determine probabilities of various DDxs etc involves significant critical thinking IMHO.

 

[Annette]

While I agree that the first two and a considerable amount of the third years of medical school are just as you said, mostly memorization, I do feel there is a shift as you enter fourth year and beyond. As you gain more and more responsibility in actual patient care, it is the application and manipulation of everything that you have memorized that matters. On the fly synthesis and manipulation of data to determine probabilities of various DDxs etc involves significant critical thinking IMHO.

I agree w/phllystyl. I couldn't imagine doing all that I'm doing without having to have just memorized some information. However it was easier to memorize if I could come up with a reason for why the fact had to be the way it was, even if it were completely irrationally based (mitochondria are shaped that way because Dr. Soandso likes complicated things . . .vs. more surface equals more room to work).

 

[mosche]

I agree w/phllystyl. I couldn't imagine doing all that I'm doing without having to have just memorized some information. However it was easier to memorize if I could come up with a reason for why the fact had to be the way it was, even if it were completely irrationally based (mitochondria are shaped that way because Dr. Soandso likes complicated things . . .vs. more surface equals more room to work).

Hey, you better NOT be dissing Dr. Soandso! He's a regular poster on SDN, and he has the final say as to which residency program you get into!

 

[redstorm]

I mean there is a certain body of information that needs to be waded through and memorized.... I think some schools can make it more palatable.. by not making a biochem exam the day after an anatomy exam.. they can space it out between 3- 5 days.. but they dont because a lot of schools are out to screw you...

 

[The White Coat Investor]

... a lot of schools are out to screw you...

Yea. They're not interested in making good doctors at all. The entire hospital is set up with one goal, to get that little 1st year medical student and SCREW him. If I had only known. They sit in their curriculum committees and their board meetings and just think of ways to screw over their medical students.

 

[Uncle_Tbag]

I've had several doctors tell me that they though the steps were more dependent on memorization, while the MCAT required more critical reasoning ability.

But to be a good doctor I would hope critical thinking skills are a must.