A Critical Thinking Approach to Medical Hard Times

• In Event: 487 - Section on Teaching and Learning Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 03. Teaching and Diversity

Abstract

Medical hard times strike many individuals sometime during their lifetime. One of the most challenging “hard times” is a diagnosis rendered by one’s physician often expressed in the following words: “You have ____ months to live!” Many individuals accept this assertion at face value and die on schedule, thus becoming “self-fulfilling prophecies” in response to what may be an overly pessimistic forecast. Successful students learn a variety of critical thinking skills while attending college. One important set of skills is imbedded in a process called critical judging. This type of critical thinking begins with: 1) Identifying some claim or assertion for scrutiny. This is followed by: 2) assessing the evidence supporting the claim, and: 3) determining the strength or conclusiveness of the argument backing up the claim. Finally, the critical judger pays attention to the source of the claim. This involves: 4) ascertaining any underlying assumptions or suppositions that may bias the claim. Critical judging has important implications for interpreting and, perhaps, defying a death forecast. Regardless of how taught, the use of these skills becomes situated in work or other post-education settings. Individuals who regularly use their skills in particular settings often become blinded to their potential use in other less familiar settings. This proposed roundtable presentation/discussion will address the question: “How would a critically thinking person apply critically judging skills to a medical death forecast?” It will also address teaching extrapolation skills to minimize potential blinders.

Author

• Reed Geertsen, Utah State University