Seeing is not always believing: An introduction to Critical Thinking
Critical thinking is a subject matter that has been discussed by philosophers and scientists for thousands of years.
Many definitions have been proposed to describe this concept, which ultimately is a process of recognizing how and why we believe what we see, hear, and read. Included in a critical thinking process is being cognizant of different sides of an argument, and being able to apply an analytical, logical, and systematic approach to new and old ideas, all while being both inquisitive and curious.
In today’s world, where we are inundated with health information from sources ranging from social media to reputable biomedical journals, being able to parse the truth from the hype is more important than ever. In this course, participants will be presented with different ways of approaching ideas and claims, be introduced to common statistical concepts and an appreciation of scientific literacy, as well as be shown how to recognize biases and misinformation in the scientific literature. Incorporating principles of critical thinking into clinical care will greatly benefit our patients and ultimately improve health in our own communities and beyond.