Study of Critical Thinking skills among Medical Students of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences

Critical thinking is a skill that learner builds mental frameworks by receiving key content through a mental process. Given the importance of effective education and the impact of critical thinking on it also, the short history of study in this area, this research has been done to measure the level of critical thinking skilsl in medical students of Hamadan university of medical sciences.

In this cross-sectional study conducted in 1398, 218 medical students of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences were examined by census method using the California B questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS at 95% confidence level and analysis of variance and Independent t test.

The mean of total scores in this test was 12.5±3.8 from the total score of 34.There are significant differences in the total scores and sub-skills of analysis, inference and deductive reasoning at the input of different years (in all cases p <0.001).There is no significant relationship between the scores obtained with age, gender and entrance exam area. Analysis score in different quotas and total score in free quota are significantly different from veterans quota (p =0.036 and P =0.011), respectively). Total score (r=-0.14 and P =0.033), inference (r=-0.240 and P =0.001) and deductive reasoning (r=-0.17 and P =0.011) have a significant inverse correlation with the entrance exam rank.There is a correlation between basic science test score and inference score (r=0.2 and P = 0.012) and deductive reasoning (r=0.17 and P.value=0.035) and between pre-internship test score and evaluation scores (r=0.35 and P =0.031),inference (r=0.36 and P =0.029), deductive reasoning (r=0.35 and P =0.030) and total score (r=0.4 and P = 0.013).

Due to the low total score and scores of the sub-domains of critical thinking skills, it seems necessary to teach this skill among students.