Critical Thinking Position in Clinical Students of Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, 2015

Introduction: thinking method is considered as a basic requirement in clinical decisions and professional competency in healthcare services. Therefore, the extant study was conducted to discover talented students and identify the role of each of the factors affecting the position of critical thinking among students of Zahedan University of Medical Sciences during 2015. Methodology: 280 students from 7different groups participated in this descriptive-sectional study; 40 students were selected from each group entered into the study. In this research, a questionnaire was used that its first part consisted of demographic information of students such as age, gender, etc. and the second part consisted of California Critical Thinking Skills Test (version B) including 34 point items that was designed in 5 scopes of cognitive skills of critical thinking including analysis, inference, induction, deduction, and evaluation. Collected data were analyzed through SPSS Software using independent t test. Findings The highest mean score of critical thinking skill obtained to 11.28±69.3 in Dentistry, University and lowest mean score obtained to 10.06±35.3 in Nursing and Midwifery University. There was a significant difference between clerkships and interns in terms of mean score of critical thinking skill in scope of evaluation (P=0.001) and induction (P=0.019); in this case, medical interns had higher scores compared to clerkships. Conclusion: results showed low critical thinking skill among medical students. According to the importance of critical thinking in clinical reasoning, educational policy-makers, planners, and managers should reform educational programs, prepare the proper educational environment and facilities at medical level to strengthen critical thinking among students of medicine.