Practice of enhancing clinical thinking training and assessment in medical students

Objective To strengthen the ability of clinical thinking and the ability to solve practical clinical problems for medical students.Methods Medical undergraduates studying in affiliated hospitals of Tongji university from 2005 to 2010 were enrolled The clinical thinking training and assessment in clinical teaching were enhanced by introducing problem-based learning,case-based learning and by strengthening the role of interns in clinical work and emphasizing clinical thinking ability assessment during various kinds of clinical skills examinations.Meanwhile,the teaching management and supervision were improved.The awareness and ability of clinical teachers to train students′ clinical thinking were aroused and cultivated through teaching staff training so as to ensure that clinical thinking training and assessment were involved in the whole process of clinical teaching.Results The students' abilities of self-study,scientific thinking and oral expression were improved.The passing rates of our graduates in national general medical practitioner test were increasing yearly from 2006 to 2008.Conclusion Strengthening clinical thinking ability training during clinical teaching plays an active role in improving clinical skills in medical students. Key words: Clinical thinking;  Clinical teaching