By MedicForest · Reviewed
Understand the topic
Critical thinking means checking the link between a claim and its evidence. A plausible explanation may still be wrong, and two things occurring together does not show which caused which. Interviewers can learn from how you handle missing information.
How to discuss it in Med interview
Restate the problem and separate known facts from assumptions. Generate more than one explanation, consider what evidence would distinguish them and choose a reasonable next step. If asked to estimate, state a sensible assumption and work through it clearly. Revise calmly when new information appears.
Put it into words
If attendance improved after a policy change, the policy is one possible explanation. I would also consider seasonal variation, a changed patient group or another service improvement before drawing a causal conclusion.
Common pitfalls
Treating confidence as evidence, inventing a fact to fill a gap or refusing to adjust an answer when the scenario changes.