Critical Thinking Disposition and Its relationship with Self-Esteem in Pre-Clinical and Clinical Medical Students of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences

Introduction: Critical Thinking (CT) is an essential component of clinical decision-making and professional competence. Personal characteristics of the students are one of the factors influencing their critical thinking development. The aim of this study was to determine the correlation between Critical Thinking Disposition (CTD) and self-esteem among pre-clinical and clinical medical students in Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences. Methods: In this descriptive-analytic study, 225 pre-clinical and clinical medical students were randomly selected through stratified sampling method in Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences in 2011. The data gathering tool included California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (CCTDI), and Cooper-Smith self-esteem inventory. The results were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Spearman correlation coefficient, Chi-Square, and independent sample t-test. Results: Results showed the students' mean scores in critical thinking disposition was 212.99±28.87(out of 420). Among all, CTD scores of 120 students (53.3%) were in ambivalence range, 102 (45.3%) were strong opposition, and 3(1.4%) positive inclination. There was a significantly positive correlation between CTD and self-esteem scores (r= 0.429, P=0.001). Also, there was a significant correlation between being in high or low self-esteem groups and CTD scores (P=0.0001, χ2=25.9). Conclusion: Students with higher self-esteem had a better CTD scores compared with those who had lower self-esteem and there was a direct and positive correlation between these two variables. Thus, faculty members should impart adequate self-esteem to their students for proper clinical judgment and decision making in different clinical circumstances.