Identifying Gaps in Clinical Decision-Making Teaching in Medical School
Abstract
Clinical Decision Making (CDM) is a skill that is developed over the course of a medical doctor’s career. It is the ability to collect pertinent information from a patient, synthesize the information to establish a diagnosis, and to develop a personalized treatment plan. Various medical school curriculums have attempted to integrate CDM into their curriculums using surrogates such as Problem/Case-Based Learning. However, studies have shown that these pre-clinical CDM surrogates do not adequately prepare medical students for their clinical rotations. In this review we examine the various mediums through which CDM is currently integrated into medical school curriculums as well as its impact on students in their clinical years. We will also discuss possible solutions to these issues and demonstrate the need for further research in this area of medical education in order to optimize preclinical training for future physicians.