Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40626000›Full record

ArticleMedical science educator2025

The Paradox of Knowledge: Why Medical Students Know More But Understand Less.

Heidi L Lujan, Stephen E DiCarlo

Abstract readEditorial
In one paragraph

Article in Medical science educator, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
11citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

11 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Heidi L LujanDepartment of Physiology, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, 567 Wilson Rd. BPS Room 1104, East Lansing, MI 48824 USA.
Stephen E DiCarloDepartment of Physiology, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, 567 Wilson Rd. BPS Room 1104, East Lansing, MI 48824 USA.ORCID 0000-0003-2869-174X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Medical education faces a paradox: despite unprecedented access to information, many students struggle to apply their knowledge to complex clinical scenarios. This paradox stems from an educational system that prioritizes rote memorization and exam performance over critical thinking and conceptual understanding. Information overload, protocol-driven learning, and exam-focused curricula contribute to superficial learning, leaving students underprepared for real-world practice. Additionally, diminishing emphasis on foundational sciences and inadequate time for reflection exacerbate this issue. To address these concerns, medical education must shift toward fostering deep learning, integrating basic and clinical sciences, and prioritizing active, inquiry-driven teaching methods to prepare adaptable, thoughtful clinicians.

Indexed as

Lifelong learnersProblem solversThinkers

Identifiers

PMID40626000
PMCPMC12228860

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.