ABSTRACT
In developing the twenty-first-century physician, medical educators need to address some pressing issues, with particular emphasis on systems-based practice and inter-professional teamwork. The new basic sciences now incorporate the behavioral sciences, which include psychology, especially its critical domain, cognitive psychology. Among present-day cognitive psychologists, rationality is considered superordinate to both critical thinking and intelligence. Basically, the goals of medical education need to evolve. In addition to producing clinicians who are certifiably competent in the diagnostic process, clinicians must be rationally well-calibrated, reflective, and mindful. There are two types of medical knowledge: Knowing content and knowing how to think about content. It is important to recognize that multiple factors contribute to the complex process of clinical reasoning and decision making, and clinical epidemiology and biostatistics are only part of the training required for optimal decision making.
