The Impact of Primary Literature-Based, Critical Thinking Activities on Competency Enhancement for Pre-Health Students

Abstract

Thinking and reasoning competencies are crucial for the success of future healthcare professionals and are noted as pre-professional competencies for medical school admissions. At Agnes Scott College, our graduate-level Medical Cell Biology class focuses on cellular structure and function in human disease. In this course, students complete assignments meant to foster critical thinking competencies, wherein they analyze primary articles on the cellular pathogenesis of disease and relevant drug therapies. To assess student perspectives on these assignments, we developed a survey to gauge student attitudes toward the effectiveness of these assignments in supporting their learning and preparing them as applicants to various health professions programs. Attitudinal data shows that these assignments have helped students think critically when evaluating scientific literature and bolstered their understanding of cell biology in the progression and treatment of human pathologies, better preparing them for their future careers in the health professions.