Factors Affecting the Level of Reflective Thinking and Clinical Decision-Making Skills in Medical Faculty Students.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to evaluate the reflection skills of students at the Faculty of Medicine and the factors influencing these skills, as well as to measure the impact of students' reflection skills on their clinical decision-making.

Methods: This study is an educational research project conducted on fifth-year Ear Nose Throat (ENT) interns at Vakif University's Faculty of Medicine. The "Reflective Thinking Level Determination Scale" and the "Clinical Decision-Making Scale," which are valid and reliable, were used to assess the reflection skills and clinical decision-making abilities of the 125 students participating in the study.

Results: In our study, the mean score of the sub-dimensions of the Groningen Reflection Skills Scale was 77.04±5.14 for the fifth-year student population surveyed. Scores from the "Self-Reflection" and "Reflective Communication" sub-dimensions of the Groningen Reflection Skills Scale were compared based on gender, participation in summer internships, receipt of scholarships, membership in social sciences clubs, place of residence, school attended, diary-keeping habits, study styles, and cities of residence. Although there were some differences between the groups, these differences were not statistically significant. The total scores of the students on the Clinical Decision-Making Scale sub-dimensions ranged from 98 to 169, with a mean score of 146.18±10.97. A statistically positive and moderate correlation was found between the total scores of the participants on the Groningen Reflection Skills Scale and the total scores they obtained on the Clinical Decision-Making Scale (r=0.403; p=0.001).

Conclusion: Consequently, an increase in the reflection skills of participants is associated with higher clinical decision-making scores. Reflection is the primary means of transitioning students from novices to experts, enhancing both comprehensive learning and learning experiences. Therefore, every medical school should develop a training program for student reflection, along with a feedback and assessment system integrated into the curriculum.