A gap analysis of critical thinking skills and attitude toward critical thinking among interns

BACKGROUND: Studies have called for reforms in medical education to create a better generation of doctors who can cope with the system-based problems; they would encounter in an interdisciplinary and collaborative environment and make better-reasoned decisions for quality patient care. To achieve this, critical thinking (CT) is at the very heart of development of new medical knowledge. Medical academics and practitioners have raised concerns about the low levels of CT and stress the need for fostering CT among medical practitioners. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to identify and analyze the gap among the interns with respect to their CT skills and attitude toward CT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among the MBBS interns of an institution of national importance in India. The interns were administered with a short version of Watson-Glaser CT appraisal tool to assess their CT skills and with CT disposition self-rating form to assess their attitude toward CT, respectively. The data were analyzed to assess their level of CT skills and their attitude toward CT. RESULTS: Sixty-one percent of the interns responded to the survey, and only 26% of interns had high CT skills; the five dimensions of CT showed varied levels of skills among the interns. Fifty-one percent of interns showed positive attitude toward CT. CONCLUSION: The findings showed a gap among the interns in their CT skills and their attitude toward CT.