Promoting professional knowledge, experiential learning and critical thinking for medical students

It has been recognized internationally that undergraduate medical education must adapt to changing needs, as illustrated by the Tomorrow's Doctors rec ommendations from the General Medical Council. This paper aims to relate co ntemporary educational theory to under-graduate medical educational require ments, specifically highlighting conditions (e.g. experiential learning) fo r: professional knowledge acquisition; critical thinking, problem-solving a nd clinical problem-solving; and lifelong professional learning. Furthermor e, problem-based learning (PBL) is highlighted as potentially providing suc h conditions. There are lessons from contemporary educational theory for th e reform of undergraduate medical education. These include valuing prior kn owledge and experience; promoting learner responsibility through facilitati ng rather than directing learning; encouraging learners to test out and app ly new knowledge, and using small-group work to foster explicitly the elusi ve skills of critical thinking and reflection. Contemporary educational the ory contributes valuable insights, but cannot dictate the ultimate 'mix'; a t best it provides some principles for reflective analysis of the learning experiences created for tomorrow's doctors.