Comparison of medical students' diagnostic reasoning skills in a traditional and a problem based learning curriculum

Abstract

Abstract Objectives: This cross sectional study aimed to investigate the relative effectiveness of a problem based learning curriculum (PBL) and a traditional curriculum (TC) in the development of medical students’ diagnostic reasoning skills. Methods: Junior and senior clinical students (n = 431) at a single clinical school of the University of Melbourne self-administered Bordage et al.’s Diagnostic Thinking Invento-ry (DTI) to assess diagnostic reasoning skills during transi-tion from a TC to a PBL curriculum. Mean scores for the flexibility in thinking and memory structure sub-scales were compared for students at junior and senior clinical levels under the two curricula using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). Results: An effect of curriculum, Wilks’ Lambda = .95, F (2, 426) = 11.67, p < .001, ηp2 =.05 and level of trainee, Wilks’ Lambda = .86, F (2, 426) = 35.00, p